‘Count on Me,’ Hahn Tells L.A. School Officials

Moving on one of his campaign pledges, Mayor-elect James K. Hahn met Thursday with school district officials and promised to help the district enhance after-school programs at elementary and middle schools.

During an hourlong meeting with Supt. Roy Romer and school board President Genethia Hayes at the downtown district headquarters, Hahn pledged to help the Los Angeles Unified School District lobby for state and federal funds to expand recreational and academic programs for children.

The mayor-elect, who takes office July 1, also said he would study the city budget to see if Los Angeles could provide additional financial support for the programs. The city currently helps pay for LA’s BEST, an award-winning elementary school program, and LA Bridges, a middle-school program designed to keep young people out of gangs.

“I’m telling everyone here at the school district, ‘Count on me,’ ” Hahn said during a midmorning news conference. “Let’s fight this fight together. Let’s get the resources we need together to provide this for everybody in the city.”

Hahn’s comments Thursday represent his second major policy affirmation since his election June 5. Immediately after the election, he addressed a group of police union members and pledged that he would follow through on his campaign promise to implement a compressed work schedule for officers.

School district officials said they were hopeful that his backing would help secure more resources for the programs.

Hahn had vowed during the mayoral campaign to make the expansion of after-school programs one of his top priorities. While all 514 elementary and middle schools have some form of after-school recreational program, only 78 elementary schools provide LA’s BEST, a more comprehensive public-private program cited as a national model.

The district is putting together a five-year plan that would use LA’s BEST as a model at every campus, an effort district officials estimate will require about $100 million.

“We all know that probably the most dangerous time for youngsters in Los Angeles is between 3 and 6 in the afternoon,” Hayes said. “What we’re really excited about is that we have something that is ready to come off the drawing board.”

The new programs would provide science, drama and art classes, along with academic classes, tutorials and field trips. District officials say they hope to offer an array of attractions, from bike ramps to rap clubs, to get children to participate.

“The after-school program, in its expansion, will allow us an opportunity to get some kids first on a skateboard in a skateboard park, and then into math,” said Romer, who wants it to be ready in 60 days.

Later Thursday, Hahn visited the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce to thank the organization for its endorsement. He reiterated his pledge to expand after-school programs, adding, “I will be asking the business community to help me in this goal.”