Los Angeles Unified School District

Early history (1870–1961)

The Los Angeles Unified School District was preceded by two districts: the Los Angeles City School District, formed in 1870, and the Los Angeles City High School District, formed in 1890. The LACSD was formed to serve elementary and junior high students, originally starting with the same borders of the city of Los Angeles and annexing various smaller elementary school districts throughout its existence.^[13] The LACHSD was catered to high school students, and was a result of annexations of high school districts in the area.

Formation (1961–1962)

On July 1, 1961, the Los Angeles City School District and the Los Angeles City High School District merged, forming the Los Angeles Unified School District.^[14] The merger left the Topanga School District and the Las Virgenes Union School District as separate remnants of the Los Angeles City High School District. The Las Virgenes district changed its name to the West County Union High School District. LAUSD annexed the Topanga district on July 1, 1962. Since the Las Virgenes Union School District had the same boundary as the remaining West County Union High School District, West County ceased to exist.^[14]

Desegregation (1961–1980)

In 1961, Jackson vs. Pasadena School District was a local predecessor of Crawford v. Board of Ed. Of Los Angeles. Jar R. Jackson and Lucia Jackson, noticed that the local Washington Junior High School zone in the district was separated between white and black students. They filed a lawsuit against the district spearheaded by attorney Samuel Sheats, the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Pasadena. In 1963, at the Supreme Court of California, the Jacksons won through an appeal after the Pasadena Superior Court dismissed their complaint. The court ruled typically for the times, that school boards needed to refrain from intentional actions towards segregating students despite the reasons for it.^[15] However, what was different about this ruling is that it demanded an active integration of school that had a substantial racial difference.^[16] A setback to this ruling, as well as other rulings in Los Angeles City School District and surrounding areas, was the language used to ask for integration.^[17] The language implied that integration was required if it was “reasonably feasible.” This caveat was used by local school districts to claim integration was not feasible due to financial or other limitations.

In 1963, a lawsuit, Crawford v. Board of Ed. of Los Angeles^[18] was filed to end segregation in the district. The California Supreme Court required the district to come up with a plan in 1977. The board returned to court with what the court of appeal years later would describe as "one of if not the most drastic plan of mandatory student reassignment in the nation."^[18] A desegregation busing plan was developed to be implemented in the 1978 school year. Two lawsuits to stop the enforced busing plan, both titled Bustop, Inc. v. Los Angeles Bd. of Ed., were filed by the group Bustop Inc. and were petitioned to the United States Supreme Court.^[19][20] The petitions to stop the busing plan were subsequently denied by Justice Rehnquist and Justice Powell. California Constitutional Proposition 1, which mandated that busing follow the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution passed in 1979 with 70% of the vote. The Crawford v. Board of Ed. of Los Angeles lawsuit was heard in the Supreme Court in 1982.^[21] The Supreme Court upheld the decision that Proposition 1 was constitutional.

After the Crawford v. Board of Ed. Of Los Angeles was processed in Los Angeles, and just as the outcome was upheld by the Supreme Court, Judge Paul Égly, created the Los Angeles Monitoring Committee (May 1978).^[22][23] Helen V. Smookler was the executive director of the committee and she managed 12 members from the community, ranging from all diverse backgrounds representative of the Los Angeles demographics. Each member spearheaded a sub-committee that was charged with overseeing and working on sustaining the desegregation of "all senior high schools, majority of junior highs, and most elementary schools."^[24] The committee's Integration project master plan (1979-1980) expanded beyond the Brown ruling because Los Angeles was a hub of multiculturalism. Hence, the “(1) logical and sensible, and (2) economical and inexpensive in time and effort and dollars” approach is to desegregate minority school pupils and integrate them into other schools.^[24] A goal of the integration process was to have small class sizes so that the diverse student population would have more individualized support when dealing with possible racial differences. By the mid-1980s the desegregation process was in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling and California propositions.^[25][26][27]

Attempts at reform (1990–2000)

Various attempts at program reform have been attempted. In one reform, individual schools were given more authority over day-to-day decisions and public school choice, authored by school board member Yolie Flores was implemented. In the 1990s, the Los Angeles Education Alliance for Restructuring Now (LEARN) and the Los Angeles Annenberg Metropolitan Project (LAAMP) were created, giving principals even more authority to make changes in curriculum hopefully benefiting students. Regardless, student achievement failed to increase.^[28]

Later attempted reform led to the creation of eleven minidistricts with decentralized management and their own individual superintendents.^[29] Due to the cost of this additional bureaucracy, then Superintendent Romer called for reversing the measure and re-merging the minidistricts. United Teachers Los Angeles, the union representing LAUSD teachers, supported this plan. Eight numbered Local Districts arose from the merger replacing the eleven districts.

From 1993 to 2000, LAUSD schools were required to continue year round schedules while 540 LAUSD schools had year-round schedules but were allowed to change them to traditional schedules. Due to community outcry, 539 of them reverted, especially those in the San Fernando Valley and Westside areas and several in the Harbor area.^[30]

Further reform and COVID-19 (2000–present)

COVID-19 pandemic

After the outbreak of COVID-19 in California in 2020, LAUSD closed its schools in order to combat the spread within the district, which was extended to May 1 as the virus grew worse.^[43][44] In August 2021, the District enacted a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for staff, vendors, contractors, volunteers and affiliated charter schools. A similar policy was initially announced for students, enforcement of which was delayed until July 2023 prior to being dropped.^[45] In January 2022, the District announced that students would be returning to campus, requiring all students to have masks and be tested for COVID every week.^[46] On February 22, 2022, the Board announced that the LAUSD would drop the outdoor mask requirement after Los Angeles County relaxed masking rules earlier that week, but still keeping the indoor mask requirements.^[47] After Los Angeles County further relaxed masking rules in March, the District announced that they would not drop the indoor mask requirement, later reversing course later that month.^[48] A lawsuit challenging the District's COVID-19 vaccine mandate was brought in January 2023, and the policy was dropped in September 2023.^[45]

1989 teachers strike

On May 30, 1989, approximately 20,000 UTLA members went out on strike for higher pay and more administrative control.^[60][61] The strike lasted nine days starting on May 30, 1989. The months preceding the strike were highly contentious. Numerous negotiation tactics were deployed by both sides including teacher demonstrations, threats to withhold grades, threats to dock teacher pay and many hard fought court battles. Union demands included pay increases and better school conditions. Thousands of substitute teachers were mobilized in preparation for the strike, and teachers prepared by saving money to endure a long walk-out. Many of the city's 600 schools reportedly remained open but with lower attendance. The district reported that 8,642 teachers crossed picket lines, and public rhetoric by both sides was critical and intense.^[62] After negotiations, a settlement was reached and a three-year contract produced. Both sides claimed victory. Despite successful teacher pay raises obtained in the settlement, a massive economic recession in 1990 caused negotiations in 1991 to focus on preventing massive layoffs due to hundreds of millions in budget deficits. Salaries were cut to avoid layoffs, ameliorating the positive results of the 1989 strike.

2019 teachers strike

On January 14, 2019, 30,000 teachers walked out in what was the first teacher's strike in Los Angeles since 1989.^[63] The strike lasted six days. Schools remained open, with replacement teachers and administrative staff filling in for the striking teachers, but school attendance was estimated to have dropped to less than half during the strike. Teachers and their supporters held rallies around the city, including at City Hall and LAUSD headquarters.^[64]

The UTLA and LAUSD reached a deal on January 22, 2019, after an all-night negotiating session.^[65] The agreement included a 6 percent pay raise for teachers, a reduction in class size by 4 students per class for grades four through 12 over the course of three years, the removal of a provision that had previously allowed larger class sizes during times of economic hardship, and a "commitment to provide a full-time nurse in every school" as well as a librarian for every middle and high school. The deal also included the establishment of 30 community schools around the district, modeled after similar programs in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Austin, Texas, seeking to provide students with social services and learning experiences in the arts. The deal contained no binding agreements on charter schools, but it did include a non-binding resolution calling on the state to establish a cap on charter schools.

2023 classified staff strike

On March 21, 2023, Service Employees International Union, Local 99 (SEIU99) planned a three day strike against LAUSD demanding a 30% raise to which LAUSD had countered with a 23% raise plus a 3% cash bonus. Unified Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) decided to join in on the strike as recent support in the last couple of years have been dwindling in an effort to support their upcoming labor negotiations. After the conclusion of the three-day strike, school resumed on March 24 with no new deal being agreed upon. In the afternoon of the same day, it was announced that LAUSD and SEIU99 agreed upon a "historic deal", meeting the demands that SEIU99 asked and more.^[66][67][68]

Magnet programs

As of January 2014, LAUSD has 191 magnet schools with about 53,500 students. In 2012, the school district admitted 16,000 new students into these magnet schools out of a pool of 66,000 applications. Cara Mia DiMassa of the Los Angeles Times said that the schools, "designed to be among the best campuses in the district, mostly are as competitive for applicants as any popular private school."^[69]

LAUSD's magnet schools include gifted and highly gifted schools, as well as a large number of magnet programs focusing on students with specific interests, including multiple arts-related magnet programs, multiple science-related magnet programs, multiple pre-law magnet programs, and multiple pre-medical magnet programs. There are also dozens of specialty magnet programs for students with other specific interests.^[70]

The district assigns points to prospective applicants based on certain conditions: students who have applied for magnet schools before receive additional points, students who live in overcrowded zoned schools receive points, and students who live in mostly minority communities receive points. In addition, the magnet schools have racial quotas. Each school is to have 30–40% non-Hispanic White students and 60–70% minority students. As of 2011, within LAUSD, 90% of the overall student body consists of racial and ethnic minorities.^[69]

The magnet schools were established in 1977 as an alternative to forced desegregation busing. The racial quota system was devised at a time when the integration focus was on making Black and White students attend school together. Since then, the district demographics changed.^[69]

As of January 2005, of the Hispanic students in LAUSD, 1.2% attended magnet schools. Of the White students in LAUSD, 16% attended magnet schools. Of all magnet school students, 46.5% are Hispanic, 20% are White, 19.2% are Black, 10.2% are Asian, 3.6% are Filipino, and .6% are other. The overall LAUSD student body was 72.8% Hispanic, 11.6% Black, 9% White, 3.8% Asian, 2.2% Filipino, and .6% other.^[71]

Consultants

Although grappling with economic shortfalls, the Los Angeles Unified School District continues to employ consultants. In 2008, the district employed more than 800 consultants – paid, on average, more than twice as much as regular employees – to oversee school construction. The Facilities Services Division spends about $182 million on its 849 consultants, almost $215,000 each. The division's regular employees are paid about $99,000 each. At the time, Senior Deputy Superintendent Ramon Cortines said that consultants may get the work done quickly and correctly, but said he is also concerned about the district's reliance on outside workers. "We need to look at it, to reduce the number of consultants," he said. In the seven main branches of the Facilities Services Division, there are 3,479 district employees who earn a total of about $347 million, according to district records. The division employs 849 consultants who earn a total of about $182.6 million.^[72] The practice has prompted concerns and a growing number of inquiries from the district's board members and LAUSD's bond oversight committee. Some district officials defend the practice, saying use of consultants ebbs and flows with the various stages of construction.

Efforts to reform the Facilities Services Division by Superintendent Ramon Cortines, from 2009 to 2010, has continued to result in union complaints and audit issues regarding consultants. Former Chief of Facilities James Sohn, hired on 2009, led the effort to reduce consultant payments by 20% and increase consultant company competition. However, this effort has been ridiculed by audits from Los Angeles County Controller Wendy Greuel^[73] and confidential internal audits by the Office of Inspector General in LAUSD^[74] that consistently found lax oversight and conflicts of interest. The confidential report by the OIG office, prompted by whistleblowers, found “irregularities in $65 million worth of contracts.” This includes costs that exceed pre-approved amounts by 50% and contracts worth $31 million without school board approval. James Sohn's declaration to decrease 20% consultants costs were also shown to be disingenuous by the OIG audit report, which found many consultants switched companies with a higher billing rate, offsetting the 20% reduction and companies increased hourly billing rate prior to the 20% reduction, therefore negating any difference. James Sohn disputes these charges.

James Sohn has also introduced a new contract type, called Agency Construction Manager (Agency CM) which claim to offer many benefits, including maximizing consultant services, lower costs, increase productivity and increase small business competition (see Construction Management).^[75] Agency CM is an attempt to replace the old consultant model of billing for an hourly rate in favor of a “lump sum task order”. Task orders are designed to provide payment for completion of a particular task, regardless of the number of hours worked. Criticisms with this include the lack of adequate tracking of consultant employees. Comparing district to consultant staffing would not be accurate. These contracts were also cited in the confidential OIG report as “vague” in detail.^[74] Teamster union officials have also complained about layoffs within Facilities that have resulted in massive district demotions and layoffs.^[76] Teamster representative, Connie Oser, has alleged that district staff have been removed while consultant contracts have been continuously and repeatedly approved by the board, consultant employees shuffled between companies, and the use of Agency CM, which enables tracking of consultants, difficult. Superintendent Ramon Cortines and former Chief Facilities Sohn have both claimed consultants have been reduced in far greater numbers than district staff. This claim cannot be verified since the use of Agency CM contracts.

Allegations have also surfaced against James Sohn's management staff. Many of his Executive level staff have been prior consultants. James Sohn has also been criticized for his attempt to purge all non-legally required documents in each employee computer system.^[77] After Teamsters union complaints, LAUSD halted this practice. James Sohn claimed this is a customary process done by construction programs. He did not provide any evidence to support this claim.

United States Academic Decathlon

Various schools in the District have participated in the United States Academic Decathlon, with some schools winning the United States Academic Decathlon National Championship. These include:

• John Marshall High School: 1987, 1995
• William H. Taft High School: 1989, 1994, 2006
• El Camino Real High School: 1998, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2023
• Granada Hills Charter High School: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019

All District High School Honor Band

The All District High School Honor Band members are invited in September each year to audition for the band, which includes only brass and percussion instruments. The group has marched in every Tournament of Roses Parade since 1973. The All District High School Band allows members the opportunity to perform in Bandfest, at Disneyland, and on other events. The 300 members are required "to maintain a 2.5 or greater grade point average, and stay in good standing with home school program."^[78]

Originally organized to meet the minimum requirement of having 100 members on the band to perform in the Rose Parade, the Honor Band has performed at Anaheim Stadium, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood Christmas Lane Parade, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Rams and Raiders football games, and Super Bowls XI, XIV, and XVII. They were present at the Governor's Inauguration in Sacramento, XXIV Olympiad Salute, and the World Series during the past 25 years. In May 1986 the band traveled to Atlanta to participate in Coca-Cola's Centennial Celebration, and at the end of the month, participated in Hands Across America where the band was the "anchor" at the event's Western terminus at the RMS Queen Mary pier in Long Beach, California. The band's current director Anthony "Tony" White has been directing the band for 30 years.^[79]

Crimes and lawsuits

On January 5, 2008, Sandy Banks of the Los Angeles Times reported that vandals and thieves targeted LAUSD schools in various neighborhoods during holidays. Banks said that the lack of police presence allows thieves to target schools.^[80]

Thirty-three-year-old Alberto Gutierrez sued the Los Angeles Unified School District, saying that the principal of the San Fernando High School, where he was assigned, retaliated against him when Gutierrez asked students to "think critically" about the role of the United States in the Iraq War. Jose Luis Rodriguez, the principal, says that he spoke to Gutierrez because some parents did not appreciate Gutierrez requiring students to attend off-campus screenings of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Crash.^[81]

On January 31, 2012, police arrested Mark Berndt, a veteran teacher at Miramonte Elementary School, and charged him with 23 counts of lewd conduct, which included taking pictures of students who were being spoon-fed his semen. Another teacher, Martin Springer, was charged with fondling a 7-year-old girl in his class.^[82] A third teacher, a female, was accused of "aiding and abetting" Mark Berndt by sending him victims.^[83] The entire staff at Miramonte was subsequently replaced.^[84]

That same year, on December 18, 2012, a jury awarded a $23 million settlement to a 14-year-old boy who had been molested repeatedly by his fifth grade teacher at Queen Anne Place Elementary School in the Mid-Wilshire area, one of the largest awards in the history of the school system.^[85] Forest Stobbe, a long time veteran teacher of Queen Place Elementary pleaded no contest to two counts of lewd acts on a child and repeated sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. The boy in question was 10 at the time of the abuse.^[86] At the time of trial, the boy's attorney, Stephen Estey, asked for a $25 million verdict citing the school district's history of negligence, ignoring, "a number of red flags and complaints by other victims and as a result Stobbe grew bolder and inflicted a lifetime of harm on our defenseless client."^[87] Although Stobbe had no official criminal record, the Jury ruled that the school district, "should have heeded complaints that preceded the molestation."^[88] A previous female student complained Stobbe fondled her buttocks, and two years prior to his arrest Stobbe had been seen with a female student alone in his car. Among the insurmountable evidence against Stobbe was a jar of petroleum jelly on his desk that tested positive for the boy's DNA. The Los Angeles Unified School District was found 30% liable for the damages, and was responsible for $6.9 million of the final settlement.^[86]

On October 2, 2018, Rene Tenas pled no contest to two felony counts of lewd acts upon a child and was sentenced to five years in prison. A plea deal was made by Tenas’s defense attorney in which Tenas accepted responsibility while offering victims the opportunity to avoid testifying in person at court for a reduced sentence.^[89] Tenas taught fourth grade at Hart Street Elementary school, where he sexually abused seven students; such accused acts include “unzipping one girl’s bra, touching another girl ‘under her panties and bra’ and tickling and kissing her feet, and touching the other students inappropriately.”^[90] The Los Angeles Unified School District was accused of being aware of Tenas’s history of sexual abuse and agreed to pay $14.7 million as part of the settlement.  

iPad scandal

In 2013, then-Superintendent John Deasy announce that he would be embarking on a project to give iPads to all students in within the District. He was met with criticisms about how they were more expensive than other tablets from other manufacturers.^[91] That same year, his contract with LAUSD was extended to 2016.^[92] He also introduced the My Integrated Student Information System (MISiS), which was criticized for randomly disappearing grades and assignments.^[93][94]

In 2014, it was revealed that Deasy had ties to Apple Inc., the makers of the iPad, and Pearson PLC, creators of applications on the iPads, raising questions about the bidding process.^[95] Deasy resigned on October 16, 2014, after mounting criticisms and the failed iPad program.^[96] He remained in the district with a special assignment until the end of the year and received about 60 days pay, which totaled to $60,000.^[97][98] Cortines was picked to become superintendent again in an interim capacity.^[99] After Deasy's resignation, there was speculation about who would replace him as an official superintendent, but it was decided that, after Cortines, deputy superintendent Michelle King would become superintendent.^[100][101] In December 2014, the Federal Bureau of Investigation seized records from LAUSD pertaining to the iPad program.^[102]

Because of the failed program, Deasy resigned on October 15, 2014.^[103] In 2015, the board of education stated it was exploring possible litigation against Apple.^[104]

Criticism of teacher training workshop

In 2017, the non-profit The Israel Group submitted a complaint to the LAUSD regarding a workshop, “Learning About Islam and the Arab World,” that the United States branch of the Fellowship for Reconciliation (FORUSA) presented for teachers.^[105] FORUSA actively promotes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement,^[106] a perspective shaping its efforts to influence educators about the Middle East. One attendee of the workshop told the Jewish Journal, "We are being told that the Palestinians are the victims and the Jews are the oppressors, categorically and totally... And we are being told that Hamas is not a terrorist group; Hamas is a noble entity defending the rights of Palestinians.”^[107] In a news release from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the human rights organization further noted that "FORUS is closely aligned with CAIR, a US-based organization that has been linked to Hamas terrorist group."^[108]

Following greater public awareness of the workshop — the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)^[105] also spoke out, saying the workshop materials featured "substantial misrepresentations and distortions of established historical facts, omissions of relevant facts, and inflammatory language" – Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman contacted LAUSD. After reviewing the workshop's handouts, Sherman wrote, “[The Workshop] material is not just false, but is anti-Semitic and should have raised immediate red flags with LAUSD… I am concerned that LAUSD would promote an education program on the Middle East established by the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FORUSA), an organization who openly supports Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), a highly polarizing movement that singles out Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, and has led to anti-Semitic hostility. The BDS movement is adverse to the foreign policy of the United States.”^[109]

Ed chatbot

On March 20, 2024, LAUSD launced Ed, a chatbot developed by the district and AllHere Education as part of the district's Individual Acceleration Plan to aid academic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and enhance student performance.^[110] However, after AllHere Education faced financial troubles and furloughed its staff on June 14, 2024, the district ceased operations of the chatbot.^[111][112] Despite this, the district plans to reintroduce the service in the future and will review the issues with AllHere Education through an independent task force.^[113]

Members

Leaders

Current members

Controversies

Edward R. Roybal Learning Center

Main article: Edward R. Roybal Learning Center

The Edward R. Roybal Learning Center (previously known as Belmont Learning Center or Vista Hermosa Learning Center), in the densely populated Westlake district just west of downtown, was originally envisioned as a mixed-use education and retail complex to include several schools, shops and a public park. After more than a decade of delays stemming from the environmental review process, ground was broken for construction in 1995. Midway through construction, it was discovered that explosive methane and toxic hydrogen sulfide were seeping from an old underground oil field. Later, an active surface fault was found under one of the completed buildings, necessitating its removal. LAUSD had spent an estimated $175 million on the project by 2004, with an additional $110 million budgeted for cleanup efforts. The total cost is estimated by LAUSD at $300 million. Critics have speculated that it may end up costing closer to $500 million. Designed by architectural firm DLR Group WWCOT, the school opened in 2008 as the "Edward R. Roybal Learning Center".

Ambassador Hotel

Main articles: Ambassador Hotel (Los Angeles) and Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools

Another controversial project has been the development of the Ambassador Hotel property on Wilshire Boulevard in densely populated Koreatown. The LAUSD fought over the landmark with, among others, Donald Trump (with the legal battle dating back to 1989). In 2001, the LAUSD finally obtained legal ownership of the property. Plans to demolish the building, the site where Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot, were met with strong opposition from preservationists. In August 2005, LAUSD settled a lawsuit over the matter that had been filed by numerous preservationist groups: most of the Ambassador complex would be destroyed, but the Paul Williams-designed coffee shop and the Cocoanut Grove nightclub would be preserved, with the Grove serving as the auditorium for a new school to be built on the site. Demolition began in late 2005 and the last section of the hotel fell on January 16, 2006.

The project construction became the most expensive school in the United States. It has three elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools including LAHSA. The Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools opened in September 2010 at the cost of $578 million to serve 4,200 K-12 students. Costs in 2010 were $350 per 1 square foot (0.093 m²). Amidst great controversy the district attributed the high costs to material, land prices, seismic code, and unionized labor.^[119]

Notable board of education members

• Chauncey Fitch Skilling (1868–1945), architect and former member of the City Council for the 2nd Ward; served on the Board from 1900 to 1902
• Percy V. Hammon (1873–1958), former member of the California State Assembly and member of the City Council for the 2nd Ward; served on the Board from 1902 to 1904
• Fay Allen (1887–1974), music teacher and first African-American woman to be elected to the Board; served on the Board from 1939 to 1943^[123]
• Diane Watson (born 1933), former U.S. Representative for the 21st district (2001–2011); served on the Board from 1975 to 1978^[124]
• Bobbi Fiedler (1937–2019), U.S. Representative for the 21st district (1981–1987); served on the Board from 1977 to 1980
• Kathleen Brown (born 1945), 29th Treasurer of California (1991–1995); served on the Board from 1975 to 1983
• Rita Walters (1930–2020), former member of the City Council for the 9th district (1991–2001); served on the Board from 1979 to 1991
• Warren Furutani (born 1947), former member of the California State Assembly (2008–2012); served in the Board from 1987 to 1995
• Leticia Quezada (born 1953), former Mexican Cultural Institute of Los Angeles (1995–2002); served on the Board from 1987 to 1992^[125]
• Vickie Castro (born 1946), former principal of Hollenbeck Junior High School; served on the Board from 1993 to 2001
• José Huizar (born 1968), former member of the City Council for the 14th district (2005–2020); served on the Board from 2001 to 2005^[126]
• Nury Martinez (born 1973), President (2020–2022) and member of the City Council for the 6th district (2013–2022); served on the Board from 2009 to 2013
• Ref Rodriguez (born 1972), adjunct professor and convicted felon; served on the Board from 2015 to 2018^[127]

Notable teachers

• Jim Tunney (born 1929), former American football official in the National Football League; taught in the district from 1951 to 1977
• Jaime Escalante (1930–2010), Bolivian-American educator portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the film Stand and Deliver; taught in the district from 1974 to 1991^[128]
• Ezola Foster (1938–2018), conservative African-American political activist; taught in the district from 1960 to 1998.^[129]
• Essie Mae Washington-Williams (1925–2013), daughter of Strom Thurmond; taught in the district from 1967 to 1997^[130]
• Migdia Chinea Varela, Cuban-American screenwriter; taught in the district from
• Scott Perry (born 1954), former American football defensive back in the National Football League for the Cincinnati Bengals; teaches in the district since 1994^[131]

Air quality monitoring

The district has the country's largest school-based air quality monitoring network. The sensors give parents and students up-to-date access to air quality information. The district can also identify trends in specific areas and use that information to provide air filtration systems to schools affected by consistently bad air quality.^[132]

Transportation

LAUSD has a bus fleet consisting of the following buses: