Larger School District Has Advantages, Among Them Resources

The Los Angeles Unified School District is about to expire. But before we carve up the beast, we should take time to revisit a few issues. There are advantages to larger school districts, and the public has been kept blissfully ignorant of this fact.

Within the sprawling LAUSD, schools are large and so a more varied curriculum can be offered. LAUSD high schools have more Advanced Placement classes than schools in the area’s smaller districts. There are also more choices of electives, vocational education classes and other specialized courses.

More magnet schools are available in larger school districts. Conceived to bring about racial integration, these schools have received acclaim for their innovative programs. Cleveland High School in Reseda, nationally recognized for its humanities magnet, and North Hollywood High School, home to highly gifted and zoology magnet programs and the recent winner of a regional science bowl, are just two examples.

Grant money is more readily available to larger school districts. Grants often depend on sheer numbers to be funded. Several LAUSD schools, including Grant High School in Valley Glen, have recently received technology grants to redo their computer labs and libraries to become “digital” schools.

For students with special needs, larger districts have more resources, both programs and trained personnel. Adaptive physical education, speech and occupational therapy, motor integration specialists, assistive technology and other consultants are accessible.

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Specialized classes to fit almost every child’s needs are available, as well as personnel to help integrate these students into general education classes. At Granada Hills High School, for example, hearing impaired students are integrated into the general education curriculum.

Smaller school districts often have limited special education resources and have to contract out for even those.

Why is there such a rush to break up LAUSD? Smaller districts do not necessarily run well.

LAUSD is bloated, primarily at the administrative level, but interim Supt. Ramon C. Cortines has begun to trim the fat and has started a vigorous effort to rejuvenate the thinking of district administrators.

Reform is necessary, and the sooner the better, but the public should be given all the facts. LAUSD has resources to serve a diverse population. Rather than carve out smaller, less efficient school districts, it is time to utilize what already is in place. Bigger can be better.