In a victory that reflects years of dogged organizing by Logan Academy educators and families, the LAUSD school board voted this week not to renew the charter for Gabriella, the operator that co-locates on Logan’s campus.  

“This win has been many years in the making and is overdue,” Logan teacher Ivonne Cachu said. “It is a direct result of organized collaboration among students, parents, and teachers, who all rallied for years, spoke at board meetings, and documented the abuse of the charter and the negligence of LAUSD.” 

Gabriella Charter’s renewal was denied on a 4-3 vote. Voting to stand with Logan and oppose renewal were board members Rocía Rivas, Scott Schmerelson, Karla Griego, and Sherlett Hendy-Newbill. 

Gabriella has had a negative impact on Logan since the charter first co-located, taking valuable learning space from the school and not being a respectful partner in sharing the campus. And now that Logan is a span school and Community School, they need more space to offer a full middle-school program and to house the expanded support services for students and families that come with being a Community School. 

“The fact that Logan Academy is a Community School, is now a span school — circumstances for them have changed, and that is what we need to take into consideration,” Rivas said. 

Gabriella Charter currently co-locates on three LAUSD campuses: West Vernon, Trinity, and Logan Elementary. The three schools have been supporting each other and linking organizing efforts to reclaim their space. Last month, educators learned that Gabriella owed $800,000 to the district in unpaid charges — a fact that educators, students, and families brought to the LAUSD Charter Committee meeting on September 18. 

Within two weeks, Gabriella finally cut a check for the amount owed, but to the Logan community, it was too little, too late. Logan teachers and parents met with school board members and stressed Gabriella’s fiscal irresponsibility and other long-standing problems with the co-location. 

The victory does not mean Gabriella is definitely off the Logan campus. Gabriella is expected to appeal the decision to the LA County Office of Education, which will likely approve their charter. But it does mean an end to the outrageous 30-year contract LAUSD signed years ago with Gabriella, allowing the charter to avoid accountability and adherence to state law. The charter will now have to follow a year-to-year contract under Prop. 39 laws, bringing more oversight, and the Logan community will no longer be held captive in perpetuity by a contract that was made in the dark. 

“We still have a long road ahead of us,” Cachu said. “Our next steps are to become a proper Prop 39 co-located spot, whilst fighting and convincing LACOE to turn down Gabriella Charter renewal. The Logan community is hopeful, committed, and organized.”