New Services for High-Need Students in Long Beach Unified School District

Summary

On May 11, 2018, parents and community groups announced a settlement with the Long Beach Unified School District to provide improved services for low-income students, English language learners, and foster youth.

The agreement resolves administrative complaints filed in 2017 against LBUSD and the Los Angeles County Office of Education by Public Advocates, Inc. and pro bono counsel Morgan, Lewis & Bockius on behalf of complainants Marina Román Sanchez, Guadalupe Luna, Children’s Defense Fund-California, and Latinos In Action. Click here to see the press release announcing the settlement.

Find Out About New Services for High-Need Students from the Settlement

Since October 2018, parents and community can access new supports for students at 30 of the district’s highest need schools as part of the settlement. The district is providing three new and improved supports to students and families in the 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. The three supports are: Mental Health and Social and Emotional Services; Improved Access to Tutoring; and More Opportunities for Community Engagement. We have created one-page flyers about the settlement in English, Spanish and Khmer.

Background on April 2017 complaint filed against LBUSD:

Complainants alleged that the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) violated state law by misallocating more than $40 million of state education funding that was specifically designed to increase or improve services for low-income students, English language learners and foster youth. Public Advocates, Inc. filed a complaint against LBUSD and the Los Angeles County of Education on behalf of Children’s Defense Fund California (CDF-CA), Latinos in Action and parents of low-income and English learner students.

The complaint asserted that LBUSD was not meeting the promise of equity in the new school funding law known as Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) by failing to increase and improve services for the high need students who generate additional funds for the district called “supplemental and concentration” grants. Instead, the district was alleged to have approved allocations for everyday basic instructional services that did not specially address the neediest populations, including $17 million in Common Core instructional materials, $2.5 million for technology infrastructure, and $21.4 million in teacher and staff salary increases and benefits districtwide.

Resources

Media

This 2017 photo series featured stories from community members who were calling for more accountability at LBUSD.

18768285_1573077736050148_2406826962354301455_o — "At this time, I do not believe the school is meeting the requirements for our education in Long Beach Unified because they allow the children to just do the bare minimum and they’re not challenging us sometimes. When I grow up, I want to be a general surgeon. My education is important for me and my family. I think it’s important to create services for high-need students because we are all a part of the future."

“I used to be an English learner in high school, actually in all of K-12. I get sad knowing that other students who are English learners are stuck now. There was a teacher’s aide who would help the English learners, and he would say there are more and more English learners who are being ignored.“

Public Advocates
Published by Duc Luu
Page Liked · June 2, 2017 · Edited ·

“I have faced so many difficulties trying to get my autistic son, James, to have access to services he needs in school. Five years ago, James was a freshman and there was a behavior issue. He has autism. He ran out of the classroom and knocked over his aide. The school called the police. The problem is that the school didn’t have the right programs and the staff didn’t have the right training to serve a child with autism appropriately.” — Public Advocates Published by Duc Luu Page Liked · June 2, 2017 · Edited · “I have faced so many difficulties trying to get my autistic son, James, to have access to services he needs in school. Five years ago, James was a freshman and there was a behavior issue. He has autism. He ran out of the classroom and knocked over his aide. The school called the police. The problem is that the school didn’t have the right programs and the staff didn’t have the right training to serve a child with autism appropriately.”

“How can students get help when the money is being diverted away from them? We are often told there isn’t money for services. $40 million can make a big difference in the lives of students who need additional support.”