LAUSD OKS COST CONTROLS\Fees for consultants, attorneys targeted.

Byline: Kimberly Kindy Daily News Staff Writer

A three-prong approach to control rising costs in a special education lawsuit was approved Monday by the Los Angeles Board of Education.

Los Angeles Unified School District already has spent more than $1 million to settle the 1993 ACLU lawsuit - and on Monday the board approved an additional $750,000 for upcoming costs.

But before the additional funding was approved, board member David Tokofsky said he wanted cost controls to be put in place to avoid runaway spending.

The school board is scheduled March 14 to approve a consent decree that would settle the lawsuit, which accuses the district of discriminating against special education students by failing to quickly identify their needs and by failing to provide a proper education.

"The purpose is to make sure that we don't have billing that comes to this board that is a surprise," said Tokofsky. "It formalizes and makes the process public."

In a 4-3 vote, the board approved three measures to monitor future spending, including:

A requirement that both attorneys and consultants submit annual budgets to the school board for approval.

An annual outside audit of legal fees and consultant fees for the length of the consent decree.

A requirement that both attorneys and consultants submit detailed, itemized bills that are forwarded regularly to board members.

Joining Tokofsky in approving the safeguards were members Julie Korenstein, George Kiriyama and board President Mark Slavkin.

Board members Barbara Boudreaux, Jeff Horton and Victoria Castro cast the dissenting votes and said they believed the district has sufficient safeguards already in place.

If the decree is approved it will provide a framework for developing detailed plans for revamping the special education programs, offered to 65,000 of the district's 645,000 students.