The Los Angeles school board has authorized the settlement of a lawsuit that would send more money to the district’s neediest schools over the next three years for resources to improve African-American and Latino student achievement.
Community Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group, filed a complaint with the California education department and sued the district in 2015, alleging that the district was misspending money meant for low-income students, English-learners, and foster youths.
The district receives more than $1 billion extra for those groups each year under a recent state funding formula. It freed up $450 million of that pot for general use, arguing that schools spend that amount on disabled students who also are in the three categories. Community Coalition and other critics called the logic improper, saying that the programs have to specifically help high-needs students.
