Compton Schools

In “School Board Seeks Control of Compton District” (Jan. 10), The Times inaccurately reports that the Compton Unified School District, “which borrowed $20 million from the state to cover payroll and other expenses shortly before Harris was appointed, has not paid back any of the loans, according to district officials.”

The facts are that since my appointment, Compton Unified has been on schedule as regards repayment of this loan. Per an agreed-upon payment schedule with the state, the school district submitted its first scheduled loan payment on June 30, 1995, in the amount of $900,000. The second scheduled payment of $3,940,000 is due this June 30, and district funds have already been set aside.

Prior to the state’s takeover and my appointment as state administrator, Compton Unified, under the leadership of several elected advisory boards, had come to be viewed as the community’s “cash cow”--employing more individuals than any other Compton organization or corporation. One of the state’s mandates and one of my objectives is to bring the district’s finances to acceptable standards.

In Compton we have many dedicated parents and adults who see the advancement of our students as our No. 1 priority. I would hope that those board members who have filed the lawsuit might revisit their priorities.

J. JEROME HARRIS

Compton Unified School District