"Any charter that refuses to pay what is owed should be revoked."
- Scott Schmerelson
"If a charter school refuses to pay the fees they owe, even after given opportunities to pay their debt to our students, then I do support revoking the charter from the school."In violation of previous promises by Jose' Cole-Gutie'rrez to provide updated amounts owed for overallocation fees "approximately every month", it had been almost six months since the Charter School Division had updated the spreadsheet they provide to the public. As the LAUSD began its winter break, the bureaucrats who report to Cole-Gutie'rrez finally updated their website with new information showing charter schools still owed LAUSD students $2,899,721. Since the information is almost three months old, the public still does not know the current status of this past-due debt, but the information gives some idea of what is happening with collecting these penalties.
- Karla Griego
With this updated report, we finally know that LAUSD students at seven schools were deprived of space they were entitled to use last year. Under the rules that Cole-Gutie'rrez set in place, this means that students with Special Education needs were potentially provided services in hallways and stairwells when the room previously used for these purposes was deemed to be "empty" and available to be given away to charter schools. To compensate these students, their schools should receive 90% of the $1,139,029 in overallocation fees that were assessed against charters for overestimating the size of their student bodies. The amount for this mandatory fee is set by state law.
Even though these fees are supposed to be paid immediately, one of the schools has yet to remit the funds, depriving LAUSD students of the funding they are entitled to receive. Los Angeles Academy of Arts & Enterprise, which only enrolled 75% of its projected student body, already had a past-due balance and it appears that it has not paid any of the newly assessed fees raising its balance to $176,249.
Two of the winning candidates in the last election agreed schools that did not pay overallocation fees to the District should have their charters revoked. Scott Schmerelson and Karla Griego need to follow through with their campaign promises and ensure that a notice of violation is immediately issued to the Los Angeles Academy of Arts & Enterprise demanding immediate payment. If the bill remains unpaid, a revocation hearing should be scheduled.
According to the CSD's website, 15 charter schools are paying off their $1,725,129 in past-due debt under installment plans. The terms of these payment plans have not been publicly released. It also does not appear that the School Board approved them. Ocean Charter School is the biggest beneficiary of these terms, carrying an $851,833 balance without having to pay interest. It will also take them over six years to pay off their balance at their current payment rate. The new iteration of the Board needs to insist that new terms be negotiated that are more favorable to the District.
"We need a complete investigation of this travesty."
-- Scott Schmerelson
"I will support an investigation as to the legality of this or any write-off."
-- Karla Griego
None of the balances referenced above include the $7,678,022 that Cole-Gutie'rrez deducted from the balances due without public explanation at the beginning of 2022. According to Board Member Schmerelson, the elected representatives were also kept in the dark about this gift to the charter schools and it was never approved by the governing board.
One of the schools that benefited from this forgiveness was the Watts Learning Center, which had $169,837 mysteriously disappear from its past-due balance with the District. Later this month the LAUSD's Board will consider this school's application to renew its charter. This should not be done without an explanation of this financial transaction. If one is not provided, the Board must insist that payment terms be included with any renewal agreement.
KIPP Corazon Academy is also up for renewal with three of its sister schools. This chain frequently takes more space than it is entitled to and has amassed over $1,656,818 in overallocation fees. This includes $28,111 for KIPP Corazon which was part of the forgiveness program. Unless there was a legitimate reason for this gift, the fees need to be paid before renewal of the charter is considered.
The voters ignored $6.2 million in campaign spending from supporters of the Charter School Industry to elect a majority on the Board that is supportive of public education. The clear mandate is to make sure that publicly funded private schools are accountable for the public education funds they receive. Ensuring that they pay their debts is a good place to start.
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
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