L.A. Board Hikes Minority Ratio at 13 More Schools

The Los Angeles Unified School District board on Monday approved changing the ethnic ratio at 13 additional schools, primarily on the Westside and in the San Fernando Valley, in order to admit more minority youngsters from overcrowded schools.

The change allows the schools to enroll up to 70% minority students, instead of the current limit of 60%. It brings to 107 the number of schools where, over the past three years, the board has modified the ratio to 70-30.

The vote was 4 to 3, with Warren Furutani, Rita Walters, Leticia Quezada and Jackie Goldberg favoring the move. Alan Gershman, Julie Korenstein and board President Roberta Weintraub opposed the change.

Change Called Realistic

Walters said, “It would be artificial to maintain . . . a 60-40 ratio� at these schools because the district is already 83% minority. The change “is long overdue,� she said.

Speaking against the change, Korenstein said, “These 13 schools are already well integrated.� She questioned the choice of some of the schools, arguing that there are other schools with as many or more seats available for minority youngsters which were not being considered for the change.

Altering the ethnic formula has sparked emotional debates on the board in the past. Opponents argued that changing the ratio might leave the district open to charges of intentional segregation, while proponents said it would help ease crowding and better reflect the ethnic makeup of the district.

Associate Supt. Sally Coughlin said there has been no “white flight� from schools that already have altered ethnic ratios. The change gives the district more flexibility in assigning youngsters to available classrooms in other parts of the district, and would shorten bus rides for many children who cannot attend their neighborhood schools because of overcrowding, Coughlin said.

Schools Listed

The schools in the San Fernando Valley are Canoga Park High School, Bertrand Avenue Elementary, Burbank Boulevard Elementary, Rio Vista Elementary, Toluca Lake Elementary, Andasol Avenue Elementary, Harding Street Elementary, Lassen Elementary and Limerick Avenue Elementary. The other schools are Dana Junior High in San Pedro and Brockton Avenue Elementary, Laurel Avenue Elementary and Rosewood Avenue Elementary on the Westside.

District officials said all of the 13 schools have extra seats and can accommodate additional students from schools that are overcrowded. White students would not be displaced.

Earlier this year, each school underwent a study known as the McKinny process, named after a landmark 1982 California desegregation case, McKinny vs. Oxnard School District. That decision required school districts to analyze several factors, including community attitudes and the racial and ethnic composition of faculty and staff, to determine whether altering ethnic ratios would cause segregation.

No court challenges to the ratio changes have been filed since the district began altering the formula in 1985, and district officials believe that the revised ratios would stand up to a court test.