LA Schools Face a Budget Crunch and Safety Scrutiny

The federal government has stepped in to push Los Angeles’ public schools toward a serious change. The Department of Education warned that the district, the country’s second‑largest, might run out of funds by next year. The agency gave LA schools 45 days to submit a new financial plan. Why the money problem? First, LA schools often agree to teacher contracts that the district can’t afford. Second, they have borrowed nearly three‑quarters of a billion dollars to settle old sexual‑abuse cases. The department is also looking into how the district handles teachers accused of misconduct. Instead of removing these teachers, LA schools sometimes keep them on staff or reassign them. Some are put on leave while their cases go through the legal system, but the focus appears to be on protecting teachers rather than students.

A union member recently said teachers deserve a presumption of innocence, but that stance can endanger children. LA is now among a handful of districts accused of being too lenient with alleged predators in the classroom. The federal warning also cautions against simply moving suspect teachers to other schools—a practice known as “passing the trash. ” Many believe this move is wrong, yet it persists because some administrators and union leaders fail to prioritize student safety. The former superintendent, Alberto Carvalho, stayed on for months after an FBI raid on his home and office. Both he and his interim replacement earned salaries while the district struggled. New superintendent Andrés Chait now faces a tough task of turning things around. The question remains: why did it take federal pressure to alert LA schools about their impending crisis? Only outside scrutiny seems to bring the necessary accountability.

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