School District’s Expulsion Policy

Every school in our district must be a safe haven for our children and that is why I brought forth a motion that any student bringing a gun to school or assaulting another person, committing serious bodily injury, shall be expelled from Los Angeles Unified District schools. This policy remains intact.

Unfortunately, The Times’ headline suggested that the expulsion policy was weakened by the modification that I presented to the Board of Education (Metro, Sept. 17), and this was simply not the case. Students who are expelled do not attend any K-12 programs. Students who have committed a crime do not belong to our K-12 campuses.

Do we throw those students out into the streets to vandalize and burglarize our homes and businesses, encouraging further involvement in gangs and drugs and, ultimately, marauding bands of youth shooting back on our campuses and at our children?

It makes far better sense to put these students into a structured, learning work preparation program. Keep them off the streets.

Remove them from our schools and keep other students on our campuses safe and protected.

Therefore, the modification of my motion includes alternative programs: Los Angeles County Community Day Centers, independent contractors, or the Alternative Education Work Centers.

Let me assure you the students who commit serious crimes are removed from our K-12 schools.

Our first priority must be safe and secure campuses for our children, and we will accomplish this . . . but not by throwing students out into the streets where they will create chaos, but by removing and placing them instead in special programs.

In the past, we would have referred to these schools as reform schools. We protect our youngsters by keeping these students off our campuses and off our streets.

JULIE KORENSTEIN Member Los Angeles Board of Education