COMPTON : Bill Seeks to Further Weaken School Board
Assemblyman Willard H. Murray Jr. (D-Paramount) has proposed legislation that would further weaken a Compton school board that already has been reduced to an advisory body.
Murray, a frequent critic of Compton schools, said his bill (AB 112) is aimed at eliminating ongoing battles between the board and administrator Jerome Harris, who was appointed by the state.
Murray said board members “spend the bulk of their time criticizing and attempting to sabotage the efforts of the administrator.” The bill would strip the board of its authority to advise Harris.
The seven-member board became an advisory body after the state took over the district in July, 1993, and appointed an administrator with authority to run the district. The state took control after lending the strapped district nearly $20 million.
Some board members say Murray’s bill is unnecessary and that local residents want to be more involved in decisions affecting city schools, not less.
An aide to Murray said the bill has not been scheduled for a hearing.
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
