The Los Angeles Unified School District announced Thursday it is canceling the bulk of its summer school programs, the latest in a statewide wave of cutbacks expected to leave hundreds of thousands of students struggling for classes.
The reductions, which will force many parents to scramble for child care, are the most tangible effect of the multibillion-dollar state financial cuts to education. Community colleges also have announced summer program cancellations.
"We have said these cuts will be real, they'll be seen, and they'll be felt," said state Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. "For kids who want to take challenging courses, for kids who need basic courses in order to graduate, these choices will contribute toward the dropout rate and we will have a less competent workforce."
Officials from the Los Angeles school district, the state's largest, said that all summer school classes and most non-academic offerings such as playground and pool programs are being canceled at elementary and middle schools. About 225,000 students enroll in summer courses every year, according to the district.
This year, however, only credit-recovery courses in core requirements will be offered at high schools. Nearly 74,000 students are eligible to take those classes. The moves will save the district $34 million, although officials must cut almost $97 million more before July.
"We were hanging on to hope we could do summer school because it means a lot for all of us. It's pretty tragic that we can't," said Judy Elliott, the district's chief academic officer.
Many parents said they depend on summer offerings as both educational programs and child care. Besides making up required classes, some students take summer courses that didn't fit into their regular schedule. Others take classes to get ahead.
"We are in dire need of these programs," said Elizabeth Lugo, director of administration and development for Inner City Struggle, an East Los Angeles nonprofit that pushes for academic equality.
Lugo said she has been looking for L.A. Unified programs for her 5-year-old son and fears that there may not be any. "We don't have any family members that can take care of our kids for the whole day," she said.
When voters overwhelmingly rejected a package of state ballot measures last week, state legislators were left grappling with a $21.3-billion deficit. They are considering Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to cut $5.3 billion from public school districts and community colleges over the next 13 months. L.A. Unified will face up to a $273-million deficit next year.
