BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELS
Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District

SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
450 North Grand Avenue, Room H-160
9:30 a.m., Saturday, April 20, 2002

The Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles, acting as the Governing Board of the
Los Angeles Unified School District, met in special session on April 20, 2002, in Room H-160,
Los Angeles City Board of Education Administrative Offices, 450 North Grand Avenue.

Vice President Huizar called the meeting to order at 10:07 a.m.

The following Members were present: Ms. Marlene Canter, Ms. Genethia Hudley Hayes,
Ms. Julie Korenstein, Ms. Caprice Young, and Vice President José Huizar. Mr. Mike Lansing arrived at 12:51 p.m. Mr. David Tokofsky was absent for the entire meeting.

Superintendent Roy Romer was present.

Ms. Young led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Vice President Huizar announced that there will be Special Board meetings on April 23, April 25, and April 30, 2002. The Board is expected to begin the process of voting on the proposed budget reductions on April 25th and continue on April 30th.

The following speakers addressed the Board:

Ms. Rosemary Alamo representing the Association of Pupil Services and Attendance Counselors

Ms. Michelle Cauley representing the Association of Pupil Services and Attendance Counselors

Ms. Sonia Rodarte representing the Association of Pupil Services and Attendance Counselors

Ms. Marion Breckner representing the Financial Managers Association and California School Employees Association (C.S.E.A.)

Ms. Judy Deutsch representing the Elementary School Counselors Association

Ms. Christine Davis shared her time with Remedeas Kelly-Weekes representing Student Health and Human Services

Mr. Joseph Beckman representing the Association of Pupil Services and Attendance Counselors

Ms. Barbara Beach-Courchesne on behalf of Elementary Counselors

Ms. Linda Perez representing California School Employees Association (C.S.E.A.)

Mr. Day Higuchi representing United Teachers Los Angeles

Ms. Mary Ann Rolston representing Bellagio Road Newcomer School

Superintendent Romer briefly commented on the decentralization of the District into eleven sub districts, their on-going functions, and how they should be sized in terms of personnel and budget. He also mentioned the academic changes the District has gone through during the last 18 months including Open Court, Waterford, total math program, secondary literacy initiatives and others.

Drs. Debbie Leidner and Lillian Castillo, Local District Superintendents for Districts A and E, addressed the Board on their local districts' efforts to improve student achievement, meet the needs of the schools, better community access, and more accountability. They also discussed the initial allocation of personnel, budget resources, as well as the budget cuts and redirections taken by the local districts during the last two years.

Local District Superintendents responded to questions and concerns by Board Members regarding textbooks, facilities, personnel, academic programs, and professional development.

The following Division staff members also made presentations regarding budget reductions:

Mr. John Liechty Beyond the Bell

Mr. Richard Page School Police

Ms. Esther Wong Program Evaluation and Assessment

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Vice President Huizar passed the gavel to Ms. Young and left the meeting.
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The next presentation was an independent perspective of the preliminary budget by Mr. Roger Rasmussen, Director of the Independent Analysis Unit. He discussed how his office developed the estimates for 2002-03 budget beginning with the estimated expenditures for 2001-02, and how some budget reductions do not necessarily cut services or contribute to reducing the imbalance between expenditures and income. He further indicated that an increase in class size must be the last area to be used to balance the budget and the first one to be restored. His review does not recommend reserving funds for employee compensation, if it means budget reductions beyond those already proposed.

Dr. Rasmussen provided specific budget recommendations and responded to questions by Board Members.

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Vice President Huizar assumed the Chair.
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Ms. Anne Valenzuela-Smith made a detailed presentation on how the staffing formulas and norm tables work, examples of how they are being used in practice, and the considerations in the proposed changes to the ratios. She indicated the proposed changes are in the District Basic Norm
(Student-Teacher Ratio) and emphasized that no school in the District falls in this category.

Schools use the Desegregated Receiver School Norm, the PHBAO norm tables, or the K-3 Class
Reduction level for the lower grades. She briefly discussed the norm tables for administrative and clerical staff.

Staff responded to questions by Board Members.

On motion by Ms. Hayes, seconded by Mr. Lansing, the meeting adjourned by general consent at 3:16 p.m.

APPROVED BY THE BOARD ON: May 14, 2002




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JOSE HUIZAR JEFFERSON CRAIN
VICE PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE BOARD