Victory: School Board Resolution Passes for Co-Location Oversight

PHOTO: UTLA educators, Reclaim Our Schools LA partners, families and students outside of Tuesday’s LAUSD school board meeting.

On September 27, the school board voted to pass a resolution to increase oversight of charter co-location and reduce the impact on neighborhood schools in LAUSD. (For the full text, see page 3 of this document.)

Prior to the board vote, it was revealed that the district has been mislabeling empty classrooms and program set-asides, giving away spaces to co-locating charters without any basis in the Proposition 39 state law but rather convoluted district policy.

The lack of a clear district policy has meant less space for our students. It puts students at the whims of the political positions of the school board. This resolution — fought for and won by UTLA educators, Reclaim Our Schools LA partners, students, families, and community members — is a step toward ensuring transparency and accountability, and protecting students from the harmful impacts of charter co-location.

“Co-location at LAUSD schools, especially Community Schools, has had a detrimental impact on the valuable resources and space, resulting in overcrowded classrooms, reduced access to computer labs, and compromised educational opportunities for both sets of students,” said Fernando Chavez, RSP teacher and Esports director at Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets. “As a dedicated Community School teacher, the passage of this resolution is essential to safeguard the programs, services, and learning experiences our students and families need to succeed.” 

In addition to increased oversight of charter co-location, the resolution requires the district to create a policy within 45 days to avoid charter co-location on Community Schools, Black Student Achievement Plan schools, and the district’s list of 100 priority schools.