LAUSD School Week Cuts

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(TRACK)
Children running to class dragging rolling-backpacks behind them...that's something that they'll be doing a little less if this school year is cut by a week. If Superintendent Ramon Cortines' proposal to cut one week out of June passes, kids would get an extra week of summer sun and relaxation. But that's not good news for some parents.

(ACT-Maria)
It's going to affect the young ones and we have to work and they’re not going to be in school so where are we going to leave them? That’s going to be extra money that we have to pay because we need somebody to take care of them.

(TRACK)
Maria has a 4th grader at the 32nd Street School in South LA. She doesn't think this is the end of LAUSD cuts.

(ACT- Maria)
Cortines told us it’s not going to get better, it’s going to get worse. So we are already expecting the worst.

(TRACK)
So far, the teacher's union has agreed to 5 furlough days this upcoming school year and 7 days for the year following.

It might be a nuisance for parents to have to find another week's worth of accommodations for their kids, but like many parents Linda feels that it's also compromising her child's education.

(ACT- Linda)
All the students are going to be affected. They have to change the whole program that they had already planned for the school and the students.

(TRACK)
School officials agree. Chet Hood is the 32 street school's Title One Coordinator. Title One is a part of US education policy that focuses on helping economically disadvantaged students-- the group often hit the hardest by district changes.

(ACT- Chet Hood)
Its going to take a week of instruction off plain and simple.

(TRACK)
Most kids would love having one less week of tests and homework, but not all.

(ACT- Chet Hood)
Kids are kids. You have some that are just happy that they are going to get an extra week of summer vacation and you have some of the older students that are really concerned.

(TRACK)
But facing a budget crisis, LAUSD says the cuts have to come from somewhere. According to the district, this could save nearly 1.5 million dollars and 2,000 LAUSD jobs.

(ACT- Chet Hood)
That’s a big plus side that some jobs are being saved, but I think California’s got some restructuring to do in priorities.

(TRACK)
Priorities that the state, the school district, and now parents--- with an extra week to care for their kids--- may have to revise.

Tracy Oppenheimer, Annenberg Radio News.]