Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published December 16, 2024 5:00 AM
What is the LAUSD school board and how do I put them to work for me?
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Olivia Hughes
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LAist
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Topline:
Voters elected two new Los Angeles Unified board members and returned two incumbents to their seats in November. Now it’s time to hold them accountable.
Why it matters: More than 538,000 students attend traditional public and charter schools in Los Angeles Unified. The district is also the county’s second largest employer with more than 74,000 educators, administrators, and support staff on its payroll.
The board:
Hires, fires and evaluates the superintendent. While the school board sets policy, the superintendent manages day-to-day LAUSD operations. The current superintendent is Alberto Carvalho.
A recent decision: The board voted 5-2 in June to ban student cellphone and social media use during the school day amid rising concerns about the impact of the technologies on youth mental health. The new restrictions take effect in February.
More than half a million students attend traditional public and charter schools in Los Angeles Unified, the second-largest district in the nation. LAUSD runs the schools in several other cities in L.A. County, too, such as West Hollywood and South Gate.
The district is also the county’s second largest employer with more than 74,000 educators, administrators, and support staff on its payroll.
LAUSD doesn't fit neatly into "city" or "county" categories. Although it's enshrined in the L.A. City Charter, LAUSD operates independently of City Hall. That's why you elect school board members directly. That also makes L.A. the largest city in the country in which the mayor has no direct control over the school board.
What can the school board do?
School board members have a lot of power. Among other things, school board members:
Hire, fire and evaluate the superintendent — their single most important responsibility. While the school board sets policy, the superintendent manages day-to-day LAUSD operations. The current superintendent is Alberto Carvalho, who led Miami-Dade County Public Schools before coming to L.A. in 2021.
Early learning and care: Every 4-year-old in California is now eligible for free pre-kindergarten classes, or transitional kindergarten (also known as TK). Los Angeles Unified has acted fast on the state’s mandate.
Student cellphone ban: The board voted in June 2024 to ban student cellphone and social media use during the school day amid rising concerns about the impact of the technologies on youth mental health. The new restrictions took effect in February, with students and educators reporting mixed results.
Advocating for immigrant and LGBTQ+ students: In August, the school district announced a slew of additional protections for immigrant students, and had previously announced more protections for LGBTQ+ staff, and families of students, as a response to the Donald Trump administration.
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How much money do school board members make?
A committee appointed by local politicians sets the salary and benefits for LAUSD board members.
As of July 2024, LAUSD school board members receive:
$51,510 if they have another source of employment income.
$128,775 if they do not have another source of employment income.
These salaries increase 1% annually through July 2027.
Before 2017, the board’s pay was based on starting teacher salaries at the time, about $45,000 a year.
The Los Angeles Unified School District Board on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024.
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Mariana Dale
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LAist
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When do I want to bring something to the board’s attention?
San Fernando Valley mom Roxann Nazario has spent years advocating for her children’s education and on behalf of others in the community.
She said the first person to talk to about your child’s education is their teacher, but if you don’t feel like your question or problem is being addressed, reach out to the principal and other school staff. Then try the regional superintendents — find your region here and the contact information for who’s in charge here.
“There's a chain of command and you have to work your way all the way up,” Nazario said.
To contact the board member who represents your local school or neighborhood (more on how to find them below), you’ll likely first speak to someone who works for their office.
While there’s no guarantee that a board member can or will solve the problem at your individual school, board members LAist has interviewed often pride themselves on listening to and intervening at the local level.
If your goal is to draw wider public attention to an issue — or success — at your child’s school, you might consider attending a board meeting.
The board also has several committees. These meetings are an opportunity to learn more about specific topics and weigh in on policy development, but major decisions must be voted on by the full board.
This includes all board members and often previews upcoming policy decisions
Don’t miss a meeting
You can sign up to have board meeting agendas and other district news emailed directly.
There is an opportunity to speak directly to the board, and whoever may be watching the meeting, during public comment.
Nazario suggests you watch the livestream of a meeting or attend one in person to familiarize yourself with the order of business.
Speakers must pre-register and can comment by phone or in person. They are generally limited to two minutes.
“Don't be afraid to be emotional,” Nazario said. “Don't be afraid to stumble over your words. Like that just shows that you're human and you're not scripted… . You're a real parent just giving your story.”
While board members typically don’t answer questions or respond in the moment, they can dispatch members of their staff to meet with you about your comment. Speaking publicly can also help connect you to other parents, educators and journalists who may report on what you’ve shared.
Hear it from a parent
This summer middle school parent Lyra Kilston read an LAist story about the possibility of a student cellphone ban in LAUSD.
“Phones and social media and mental health and all of that stuff is almost an obsessive topic for certain parents with kids this age,” Kilston said. ”I felt kind of galvanized by the fact that this was being discussed.”
For the first time, she signed up to speak during public comment to express her support for the ban.
“It kind of felt like most of the board members' minds had probably been made up before they came to that meeting,” Kilston said. “But it still felt valuable to be contributing to the conversation.”
Kilston said the experience also helped her better understand who leads the district.
“Seeing all of these people in the process of doing their job made it more real to me,” Kilston said.
Her message for other parents?
“ It was a lot easier than I would have thought to actually voice my opinion to the board.”
Who is on the school board?
Board members are elected to four-year terms (with a maximum of three full terms), and represent different geographical areas.
The board also streams its meetings online, and offers American Sign Language and Spanish interpretation.
Community members can also request interpretation in other languages by contacting the Board Secretariat at secretariat@lausd.net or (213) 241-7002.
Parking in downtown L.A. can be an adventure. We made a map, below, of district-sanctioned and unofficial lots in the area. There are also designated areas to drop people off on Beaudry Avenue and Boylston Street.
What challenges does the district face?
Learning loss: The COVID-19 pandemic erased years of progress in reading, writing, and math skills. LAUSD students made small gains on California's standardized math test last year, but the majority of students do not meet benchmark scores for any subject. Among the most vocal parents are those of students with disabilities, who say schools failed to meet their children’s needs during distance learning.
Enrollment: Twenty years ago, Los Angeles Unified schools were badly overcrowded. Now, LAUSD faces the opposite problem. The district’s enrollment declined for two decades before lurching downward at the start of the pandemic. California uses enrollment to set school funding levels, so declining enrollment means declining funding.
Chronic absenteeism: Nearly a quarter of LAUSD students missed close to a month or more of school in the 2023-24 school year. While the rate of chronic absenteeism has declined from earlier pandemic highs, Black, Native American, Latino, and Pacific Islander students miss more school than their peers. A lack of transportation, access to health care, and feeling of safety could all play a role. Without consistent attendance, students lose valuable opportunities to learn, and the district loses funding that could bolster classrooms with additional resources.
Mental health: In various surveys and reporting, many students say their mental health suffered far more than their transcripts during the pandemic, and schools have struggled to hire enough school counselors and social workers. The school board will have to figure out how to maintain and grow mental health support for students.
School safety: The board agreed to cut the school police department's annual budget by $25 million (35%) in the summer of 2020, after the widespread protests against police brutality following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. It redirected that money into the Black Student Achievement Plan that includes funding for counselors, social workers, curriculum changes, and community partnerships. Advocates say more than two years after the plan launched, funding is lagging and resources have not been distributed equally among all schools. This year also includes additional concerns about the threat of federal immigration enforcement actions on or near campuses.
Green schools: The majority of LAUSD schools lack cool, shaded places for students to play and learn outdoors. The yards of about 600 schools have less than 30% “green” space according to district documents. The district has allocated tens of millions of dollars to cool campuses in recent years and estimates it could cost up to $3 billion and take decades, to reach its greening goals.
What if my child attends a charter school?
Charter School 101
Who’s in charge? An independent nonprofit organization with an un-elected board. Some charter schools are affiliated with public districts.
Who funds them? Taxpayers. Charter schools are publicly funded.
Is there tuition? No.
What makes them different from regular public schools? Charter schools are exempt from many laws that govern public education.
The LAUSD board’s influence on charter schools varies and in many cases, charters have boards separate from the district.
Affiliated charter schools are those operated by the district and the LAUSD board’s decisions influence their operations in a similar way to a traditional public school.
Independent charter schools are run by a separate, nonprofit organization. And day-to-day operations are overseen by a separate board, often appointed by the school’s founders or nonprofit leaders.
They might decide on everything from curriculum to hiring and student discipline.
“ The district doesn't generally have any control over any of those local decisions, provided that those decisions are not unlawful or discriminatory,” said Ricardo Soto, chief advocacy officer and general counsel for the California Charter Schools Association.
Charter school operators oversee a much smaller staff and student body than many public school districts.
“It's much more accessible for parents or for guardians of children to attend those board meetings and to get involved," Soto said. “Charter schools are really dependent on their school communities for anything to happen.”
Find out who is on the board, when they meet and how to contact them on your school’s website or by asking your child’s teacher.
Aaron Schrank
has been on the ground, reporting on homelessness and other issues in L.A. for more than a decade.
Published December 15, 2025 3:56 PM
Brier Oak on Sunset nursing home in Hollywood has been cited three times in recent years for care violations that led to patient deaths.
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Aaron Schrank
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LAist
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Topline:
An East Hollywood nursing home that nearly lost its license this year because of repeated state citations for deaths of residents at the facility was cited again last month after another death.
What happened? The California Department of Public Health cited Brier Oak on Sunset after a 92-year-old resident bled to death on Sept. 27. Staff members had continued injecting her with blood thinners over a 40-hour period despite evidence that the patient had been bleeding internally.
Why it matters: It’s an AA citation, the most severe the department issues when violations of care standards are determined to be a substantial factor in someone’s death. These kinds of citations are rare. State regulations require authorities to suspend or revoke the licenses of any facilities that get two AA citations within a period of 24 months. Brier Oak has received three AA citations for patient deaths since late 2022.
What's next? The state Public Health Department said Brier Oak submitted a required written response before a Dec. 6 deadline, showing how it will fix the problems and prevent them from happening again. Brier Oak has until Dec. 19 to notify the department whether it intends to appeal the state citation.
An East Hollywood nursing home that nearly lost its license this year because of repeated state citations for deaths of residents at the facility was cited again last month after another person died.
The California Department of Public Health cited Brier Oak on Sunset after a 92-year-old resident bled to death on Sept. 27. Staff members had continued injecting her with blood thinners over a 40-hour period in violation of clinical guidelines.
It’s an AA citation, the most severe the department issues when violations of care standards are determined to be a substantial factor in someone’s death. The facility faces a $120,000 fine.
These kinds of citations are rare. The department has recently issued, on average, fewer than 20 AA citations yearly across more than 1,200 skilled nursing facilities in California.
Brier Oak has received three AA citations for patient deaths since late 2022.
State regulations require authorities to suspend or revoke the licenses of any facilities that get two AA citations within a period of 24 months.
The state Public Health Department began that process with Brier Oak in May based on resident deaths in 2022 and 2024. But officials dropped that effort later because they say they determined the two patient deaths had occurred 26 months apart — just outside of the two-year window.
A spokesperson for the company that owns Brier Oak told LAist it has appealed the first two citations and is considering whether to appeal the third.
Advocates for nursing home residents say the recent death could have been avoided if the state had taken action.
“There were red flags, and a lot of these red flags existed prior to the death of this poor resident,” said Tony Chicotel, senior staff attorney with California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.
The state said Brier Oak has until Dec. 19 to notify the department if it intends to appeal.
What led to the patient deaths?
In the recent death at Brier Oak cited by the state, multiple communication and technical failures by nursing staff led to the patient bleeding out over a period of 40 hours, according to the citation.
The 92-year-old patient was immobile and had been prescribed a blood thinner called heparin to help prevent blood clots from forming. But once a patient is bleeding, those injections make bleeding worse, and potentially fatal.
When nursing staff found bright red blood in the resident’s diaper the day before she died, Brier Oak failed to follow established processes for documenting the bleeding or communicating it to a nurse practitioner or medical doctor, according to the citation.
Nurses told state authorities they delayed informing physicians because they “get mad” when contacted in the middle of the night.
The facility’s staff also failed to fully assess the patient to determine the possible causes of the bleeding and or to properly monitor the issue during crucial periods, according to the citation.
She suffered four internal bleeding episodes over 40 hours and continued to receive blood thinner injections.
The citation says a nurse practitioner at Brier Oak told state licensing authorities later that if she’d been informed about the patient’s ongoing bleeding, she would have stopped the blood thinner and sent her to a hospital.
In 2022, Brier Oak received a AA citation after a 62-year-old woman died from respiratory failure in part because nurses hadn’t been trained to operate her breathing machine.
In 2024, the nursing home got another AA citation. This time, a 63-year-old woman with paraplegia and severe obesity fell from her bed and died while a nursing assistant was changing her. The assistant was alone, even though the woman’s care plan required two staff members.
Who owns Brier Oak?
Brier Oak on Sunset is primarily owned by Genesis Healthcare, a publicly-traded nursing home operator that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July.
Once the largest nursing home operator in the U.S., Genesis was facing billions in debt when it declared bankruptcy, according to court filings. That includes millions in potential damages from lawsuits related to patient care failures.
In a brief statement to LAist, a company spokesperson said it's still considering whether or not to appeal the recent citation at Brier Oak.
The citation should trigger a suspension or revocation of the facility's license, according to state regulations. The latter means it would have to close its doors. The two most recent deaths and citations at the facility occurred within the two-year window.
The California Department of Public Health confirmed it cited Brier Oak on Nov. 26.
The department said the facility submitted a required written response before a Dec. 6 deadline, showing how it will fix the problems and prevent them from happening again..
The department determined Brier Oak was back in compliance during an onsite visit last week, a representative told LAist.
Brier Oak on Sunset currently houses about 150 patients, according to state records.
A bankruptcy judge has stalled the proposed sale of Genesis Healthcare to an affiliate of one of its investors.
Experts say it’s unclear whether the state would revoke the license of an owner who is actively trying to sell and turn over operations to someone else.
Jill Replogle
covers public corruption, debates over our voting system, culture war battles — and more.
Published December 15, 2025 3:34 PM
There's snow beneath the chair lifts but the backdrop at Big Bear Mountain Resort shows just how warm and dry conditions have been.
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Courtesy Big Bear Mountain Resort
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Topline
It’s been a rough start to ski and snowboard season for California mountain towns. Snowfall is well below average, but Christmas could come with some of the white stuff.
Hmmm. Didn’t we just have a record storm? Yes. That big atmospheric river that hit Southern California last month made it one of the wettest Novembers on records. But since then, it’s been unusually warm and dry, which is not good for mountain towns that depend on snow, and the outdoor enthusiasts that flock to them.
Read on ... for more about the conditions at Big Bear Mountain resort, and whether we'll have more snow in time for Christmas vacations.
It’s been a rough start to ski and snowboard season for California mountain towns. Snowfall is well below average, but Christmas could come with some of the white stuff. Here's where things stand:
Hmmm. Didn’t we just have a record storm?
Yes. That big atmospheric river that hit Southern California last month made it one of the wettest Novembers on records. But since then, it’s been unusually warm and dry, which is not good for mountain towns that depend on snow, and the outdoor enthusiasts that flock to them.
How bad is it?
California’s snowpack is about 20% of normal for this time of the year, according to the state’s snow-tracking website. Southern California isn’t quite as bad off — we’ve gotten about half our normal snowfall so far.
As for the resorts, only about 20% of the terrain at Bear Mountain in Big Bear is open. About 35% of Mammoth Mountain is open.
Can’t they just make snow?
They are, but the unusually warm temperatures have curbed resorts’ ability to make enough snow to open more terrain. “If you're blowing water into 40-degrees, it's going to stay water,” said Justin Kanton, a spokesperson for Big Bear Mountain Resort. “ So as much as people probably would want us to just crank the snow guns all day, every day up here and just get things moving, that's not really possible.”
But there’s a silver lining!
The dry weather has allowed Caltrans to make good progress toward opening Highway 38, said Evan Engle, who chairs the board of the Big Bear Chamber of Commerce. The road typically handles up to 40% of traffic up to the mountain town, Engle said. But it’s been closed since September when it got washed out by Tropical Storm Mario.
Getting it open as soon as possible is key to keeping visitor traffic manageable, and getting supplies to Big Bear.
What’s the snow outlook?
SoCal mountains are likely to see some precipitation around Christmas, said Kyle Wheeler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. But with temperatures not expected to drop much, it’s uncertain how much of it will be white, Wheeler said.
If you go to Big Bear:
If you plan to hit the slopes, get on it early, when the snow is at its best given the warm conditions.
No snow? There’s more to do than ski and snowboard. Check this list of winter fun events.
Worried about traffic? Consider going up earlier in the week. If you can’t do that, consider taking Highway 18 through Lucerne Valley. It’s a longer route if you’re coming from L.A., but less traveled, and less likely to make you car sick (fewer tight curves).
How to reach me
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Jordan Rynning
holds local government accountable, covering city halls, law enforcement and other powerful institutions.
Published December 15, 2025 3:30 PM
The LAPD deployed less-lethal munitions and mounted units on June 14.
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Spencer Platt
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Getty Images
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Topline:
The Los Angeles Police Department used 2,431 less-lethal projectile rounds and 35 canisters of tear gas from June 6 through 14, according to newly released documents. The department reported causing 12 injuries with those weapons.
Why now? The LAPD released a new document last week after LAist found the department did not publish state-mandated reports for four days when officers used crowd control weapons over that period. The department said on Dec. 10 the delay “stems from the extraordinary volume and complexity of incidents” over that time.
This report is different: Unlike most of the LAPD’s reports after using crowd control weapons, this one covers multiple days and protests. The report includes the first “No Kings” protest on June 14, but lacks detailed descriptions of specific dates or incidents.
Read on… for more about the newly-released report.
The Los Angeles Police Department used more than 2,400 crowd control munitions in response to protests from June 6 to 14, according to a new report.
Officers used a total of 2,431 less-lethal projectile rounds and 35 canisters of tear gas over the nine days, according to LAPD reports. The department recorded 12 injuries officers caused with those weapons.
The LAPD released the missing report last week after LAist identified the use of crowd control weapons on four different days in June that had not been reported according to state law. Assembly Bill 48, which went into effect in 2022, limits when and how crowd control weapons can be used, and requires law enforcement agencies to publicly release reports on their use within 60 days.
A 30-day extension for these reports can be granted in some cases, but the LAPD released this report about three months late even if an extension was justified.
Officials acknowledged they were out of compliance on Dec. 10 before releasing the report, saying the delay “stems from the extraordinary volume and complexity of incidents” over that time.
This report is different from others
It is unusual for a crowd control report to include more than one day, and the report for June 9 through 14 covered six days and “45 sepearte [sic] non categorical use of force incidents.”
It does not describe any of those use of force incidents specifically, and the LAPD has not yet responded to LAist’s request for more detailed descriptions of those incidents.
How to reach me
If you have a tip, you can reach me on Signal. My username is jrynning.56.
You can follow this link to reach me there or type my username in the search bar after starting a new chat.
And if you're comfortable just reaching out by email I'm at jrynning@scpr.org
The report also considered the entire six days to have been one continuous protest, though it included several anti-ICE protests over the week and the national “No Kings” protest on June 14.
Two reports released earlier this year for June 6 and 8 covered single days and provided more detailed descriptions of incidents where the LAPD used less-lethal munitions against protesters.
Libby Rainey
has been tracking how L.A. is prepping for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Published December 15, 2025 1:20 PM
The 2028 Olympics will be played across Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California.
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Emma McIntyre
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Getty Images for LA28
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Topline:
Registration for tickets to the 2028 Olympic Games will open on Jan. 14, LA28 organizing committee officials announced today.
How it works: Registering for the draw puts you in the running to buy Olympics tickets. If you're selected, you'll get an email with a time slot to purchase tickets.
When will tickets actually go on sale? There are no firm dates yet, but LA28 says tickets for the Olympics are slated to go on sale in 2026 and Paralympics tickets will follow in 2027.
How much will tickets cost? Details on ticket pricing aren't out yet. LA28 has said the least expensive tickets will be $28. If the World Cup is any indication, tickets could also get pretty pricey.
