SOUTH CENTRAL WANTS ITS SHARE; BB COMMITTEE ANSWERS CRITICS.

Byline: Sharline Chiang Daily News Staff Writer

Accused of shortchanging South Central schools in allocating Proposition BB revenue, members of a citizen oversight committee said Saturday the community should request more money to repair deteriorating campuses.

In a meeting organized by a teen group called South Central Youth Empowered thru Action, committee members denied allegations that schools in the San Fernando Valley and Westside had received more than their share of the school-repair money raised Proposition BB.

But they challenged the 200 teens and parents attending the meeting to demand more of the $2.4 billion in bond money approved by voters to repair and renovate campuses throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District.

``Funds will remain flexible until the highest priority of repairs are taken care of,'' said David Barulich, who represents the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association on the Blue Ribbon Citizens Oversight Committee.

At the same time, the committee warned against treating the Proposition BB fund as an open-ended source of money.

``At some point you have to freeze it and say these are our projects and go forward,'' Barulich said.

According to a report by the South Central youth group, culled from LAUSD data, Birmingham High School in Van Nuys is slated to receive nearly $6 million in Prop. BB money, and Granada Hills High School will receive about $5 million.

Meanwhile, at two South Central-area schools, Washington Prep High School is due less than $2 million and Jefferson High School will receive about $2.3 million, the report said.

Barulich said the figures are estimates and are subject to change.

During the impassioned, sometimes tense, gathering, the racially mixed audience complained of schools plagued with filthy, graffiti-covered bathrooms, rotting ceiling tiles and poorly lit rooms.

``Today we got more student and parent input on the needs for repairs that we didn't feel were included before,'' said student Wendy Diaz, 17, of Manual Arts High School. ``We're very happy because a youth group got the committee to listen.''

Last April, voters approved a $2.4 billion bond measure to pay for school repairs, safety improvements and modernization for LAUSD's schools and centers. Before the measure was place on the ballot, lists of needs were submitted by school principals.

Some principals, overwhelmed by years of backlogged maintenance, may have underestimated needs, said committee chairman Steve Soboroff, representing Mayor Richard Riordan's office.

``Principals hadn't dealt with repairs for so long they were afraid to ask for too much,'' Soboroff said.

On Saturday, both sides said they appreciated the level of concern and turnout. Of the 11 voluntary committee members, six attended.

``I've never worked with a group so thoughtful, as respectful and intense as yours,'' Soboroff told the crowd.

However, at one point, the audience grumbled and booed after Soboroff pointed at the young people and asked if they would be willing to ``roll up your sleeves'' and help clean the schools once a month after the schools are repaired.

Deirdre Harris, 27, a resident of South Central, found Soboroff's comment unsettling.

``Are other school communities being told to roll up their sleeves?'' she asked.