Southeast Cities Seek Schools Secession Study

Representatives of several southeast cities Tuesday called for a legislative study that would determine whether their community schools can break away from the Los Angeles Unified School District.

“We will not spare any effort to try to change the current situation,” said Huntington Park Mayor Rosario Marin told the Los Angeles Board of Education.

“We do not know that breaking away is a perfect solution--and we are sure change is frightening to many including us,” Marin said. “However, we know for a fact that the situation as it is can no longer be tolerated.”

The group of working-class cities of Huntington Park, Bell, Maywood, Cudahy, South Gate and Vernon recently formed the Southeast Cities for Education, Empowerment--or SECEDE.

Supporters of the group contend that district officials have failed to ease school overcrowding in their communities. Nor has the district provided them with adequate campus maintenance, school construction funds or qualified teachers.

“Here’s a statistic that illustrates the need for change,” Marin said: “Four years ago, Huntington Park High School had 1,600 students in ninth grade. Last year, only about 600 of them graduated.”