Measure to Split L.A. School District Nears Final Vote

Senate leaders put the Los Angeles school district breakup measure on a fast track Monday, sending it to the full Senate for a vote as early as this week.

The bill by Assemblywoman Paula Boland, which lowers signature requirements to qualify the breakup issue for the ballot, was permitted to bypass its final committee hearing so it could head straight for the Senate floor.

Monday’s development was welcomed by Boland, the Granada Hills Republican carrying the measure. “Any time you don’t have another hurdle to jump over, it’s got to be helpful,” she said.

State Sen. Patrick Johnston (D-Stockton), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee that was to hear the bill, granted a special waiver to allow its detour past his committee.

Johnston’s ruling was based on the Wilson Administration’s analysis that the bill carried no extra costs, and therefore didn’t need scrutiny by the appropriations committee.

Allowing the legislation to leapfrog over its last committee hearing puts the bill’s opponents at a further disadvantage since they now have one less arena in which to fight the measure.

Ron Prescott, chief lobbyist for the Los Angeles Unified School District, said the bill’s speed-up is a setback for his cause but he intends to move quickly to make sure each Los Angeles senator understands the LAUSD’s position.

Prescott said he will fire off a letter to each delegation member questioning the constitutionality of the measure because it singles out the LAUSD. He said the school board does not necessarily oppose the bill’s goals.

“Our fear is we may be passing a bill but not a law,” Prescott said. “If the thing is declared unconstitutional, then where are we? I’ve been trying to say: Fix it, so nobody sues.”

Still, Prescott said he sees signs that support for the bill is gathering momentum.

“I think the votes are there to pass legislation like this, and I think that’s been demonstrated,” Prescott said. “I think those who want to support the legislation are ignoring the constitutionality issue.”

But the bill’s backers dismiss these concerns, saying plenty of legal precedence exists already in the Education Code for targeting specific school systems with specific laws.

Although the players and the legislation have changed, the state Senate has a history of voting affirmatively on measures to split up the massive Los Angeles Unified School District to improve classroom performance.

During the last legislative session, senators passed a bill by former state Sen. David Roberti (D-Van Nuys) to set up a commission to carry out the dismantling of the district. However, at that time, Roberti had led the Senate for some years and held considerable sway over his colleagues. It was the Assembly that stopped that bill and until this year has been a graveyard for LAUSD breakup bills. But in June, the Assembly passed the breakup bill.

This year’s bill seeks less radical change than did Roberti’s and thus may be easier to approve.

While the Roberti bill mandated a breakup of the district, Boland’s bill merely makes it easier to get the issue on the ballot by lowering the number of petition signatures needed to qualify for an election.

Under Boland’s measure, signatures required would drop from 386,000 to 72,000, putting the goal within reach of grass-roots organizers.

State Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica), who was instrumental in helping Boland secure passage by the Senate Education Committee last week, will carry the bill on the Senate floor.

Hayden also has a related bill in which he seeks guarantees that any new, smaller districts follow court-ordered legal requirements ensuring equal education for all students.

Because they are “double-joined,” the Hayden bill and Boland bill must both pass and win the governor’s signature for either to become law.