Finding School Sites in L.A.

* A June 18 Opinion article (“Enough of L.A. Unified’s Big Foot in Construction Funds”) asks readers to adopt a somewhat dubious assumption: that all school districts in California are on equal footing in finding environmentally acceptable land for school sites. It also assumes that it is easy to persuade community residents and businesses in densely populated areas to situate a school on their block to serve children.

Were all districts equal, then perhaps it would be fair to require all school districts to follow the same rules in applying for and receiving construction funds. All children are worthy of the best possible school facilities.

But the fact is that it is considerably more difficult--and more costly--to evaluate and acquire such properties in a densely populated, heavily urbanized area like L.A. than in more rural and suburban regions. Thus, the ability of a district like Los Angeles to prepare timely applications in order to “stand in line” with other districts for limited state funds--as the “first come-first served” rule requires--becomes exacerbated by difficulties in identifying suitable sites.

Indeed, in a very recent ruling in a case brought on behalf of urban school districts, the judge is awaiting justification to identify other solutions to this predicament.

The LAUSD has markedly improved the management of its facilities construction and renovation program in the past six months. We have submitted 231 applications to the state for upgrading existing facilities and identified another 60 sites for primary centers and potential sites to serve the needs of our most overcrowded school communities.

GENETHIA HAYES, President

L.A. Board of Education