SPECIAL-ED SPENDING HARD TO DETERMINE.Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer Because of inadequate documentation supplied by the LAUSD LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA) , an independent monitor said Monday that he cannot determine how much money the district has spent on court-ordered improvements to its special-education programs. Monitor Carl Cohn said he wants to meet with Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. officials to determine how much of the $67.5 million the district has pledged to spend has actually gone toward access ramps and other improvements. In a highly critical progress report released Friday, Cohn wrote he had ``serious concerns about the reported expenditures'' and wants district officials to explain what they've done to comply with the consent decree A settlement of a lawsuit or criminal case in which a person or company agrees to take specific actions without admitting fault or guilt for the situation that led to the lawsuit. A consent decree is a settlement that is contained in a court order. and how they've spent the money. ``They have failed to present us with the information to give us reasonable assurance that they're moving forward on this,'' Cohn said in a phone interview Monday. ``We need to make sure the facilities people are providing information that is complete and actually shows what the nature of the work is.'' District officials had reported to Cohn that they had completed $21 million in improvements and were working on $37 million more. But none of that work had been verified ver·i·fy tr.v. ver·i·fied, ver·i·fy·ing, ver·i·fies 1. To prove the truth of by presentation of evidence or testimony; substantiate. 2. , Cohn said, which means he cannot determine whether it is applicable to the requirements of the consent decree. Donnalyn Anton, associate superintendent of special education, said her staff will meet with the district's facilities officials to clarify how the money was spent. ``The money really is going toward accessibility issues,'' Anton said. ``From my perspective, we're moving forward. This district is very committed to its learning program, which includes accessibility for people with disabilities.'' Cohn's report questioned whether the district was counting work that predates the consent decree as part of the $67.5 million obligation. The consent decree came in 1996 to settle a civil-rights lawsuit lawsuit: see procedure; tort. filed three years earlier on behalf of Chanda Smith and others. The suit said the LAUSD had violated vi·o·late tr.v. vi·o·lat·ed, vi·o·lat·ing, vi·o·lates 1. To break or disregard (a law or promise, for example). 2. To assault (a person) sexually. 3. federal law by allowing the teen to twice fail 10th grade before determining that she had the academic skills of a second- grader A grader, also commonly referred to as a blade or a motor grader, is an engineering vehicle with a large blade used to create a flat surface. Typical models have three axles, with the engine and cab situated above the rear axles at one end of the vehicle and a third . The decree decree, in law, decision of a suit in a court of equity. It is the counterpart in equity of the judgment in a court of law, although in those jurisdictions where law and equity have merged, judgment is sometimes used to include both. was modified in 2003, with the LAUSD agreeing to spend $67.5 million over five years to renovate older schools and provide handicap-access equipment for disabled students. An attorney for the plaintiffs said Monday that he wants more information provided to ensure that the district fulfills its pledge to its 85,000 disabled students and that the money is really going for accessibility improvements. Cohn said he hopes the progress report will urge district officials to provide the detailed information soon. ``I don't want to make harsh judgments. We're concerned, but this is a large urban school system, and this is an area where it could easily be a communication problem rather than a problem of substance.'' Board President Marlene Canter canter a gallop at an easy pace. The rhythm is three-time, first one hind, then the opposite hind with the diagonal fore, then the opposite fore, the leading limb. collected canter plans to announce on Wednesday the creation of a select committee on the consent decree that will provide oversight
Oversight may refer to:
``A special committee will be focused on this in the first half of September and I assume that these kinds of questions are the ones we'll want answered for the whole board and the public,'' board member David Tokofsky said. ``The consent decree has 18 specific goals and they are all quantitative and measurable. There should be no doubt if the district has met or will meet the goals when they meet the federal judge.'' The district also agreed to spend up to $20 million on immediate renovations requested by principals in order to provide handicapped accessibility such as accessible drinking fountains or a ramp to the school auditorium auditorium Portion of a theater or hall where an audience sits, as distinct from the stage. The auditorium originated in the theaters of ancient Greece, as a semicircular seating area cut into a hillside. stage. It appears that 19 percent of the $20 million has been committed to requested renovations, the monitor reported. Naush Boghossian, (818) 713-3722 naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com |
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