New LAUSD Map Offered

A coalition of Latino advocacy groups has released maps proposing new district boundaries for the Los Angeles Unified School District board that would return two seats exclusively to the San Fernando Valley and create a Latino stronghold east of the San Diego Freeway.

The maps will be presented to the Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission, which will send its recommendations to the full council by March 1. The council will vote by July 1 on the proposed district boundaries.

The last boundary changes were made in 1992, resulting in one seat entirely in the Valley, and three others representing parts of the Valley.

The map proposed by the Latino groups would put board member Julie Korenstein in District 6, west of the San Diego Freeway, and board member Caprice Young in District 3, east of the freeway. District 4 would acquire Studio City and parts of Sherman Oaks.

“This is bringing justice back to the Valley,” said Alan Clayton of the California Latino Redistricting Coalition. “The problem with the board is that it hasn’t done enough outreach and is not sensitive enough to the [Latino] community.”

Latinos make up more than 70% of the district’s 900,000 students. In addition to a predominately Latino seat in the East Valley, the proposed map would create Latino strongholds in East L.A., eastern downtown and the harbor area. Clayton said the board could better serve Latinos by not carving up the district into several seats.

“The current map is really convoluted,” Korenstein said. “It’s very hard to service a community when you’re spread that thin.”

Young, the school board president, said she was open to change, provided that new boundaries would better serve the students.

“The maps have the demographic potential to elect Latino officials and give the Valley better representation,” she said. “We have to balance those issues in the interest of serving kids. But those things are not necessarily compatible.”

Public meetings on redistricting will be held at San Fernando Middle School on Feb. 20 and Locke High School in Los Angeles on Feb. 21, both at 7 p.m.