| On November 8th, the voters of who live in | | | | increase, with another 20 new charter schools |
| the Los Angeles schools district will be | | | | planned for this fall. |
| faced with their fourth proposition, called | | | | |
| Measure Y. The $3.985 bond measure, which | | | | The California Charter Schools Association |
| will be paid by property taxes, is for more | | | | predicts that ten percent of public school |
| planned expansion within the Los Angeles | | | | students within the state will attend charter |
| schools, allowing them to add another 25 | | | | schools by the year 2014, with perhaps an |
| elementary schools to the current list of 160 | | | | even higher percentage in the Los Angeles |
| schools that are scheduled to be constructed | | | | schools area. They cite that the number of |
| by year 2012. Some of the money also is | | | | charter schools would need to triple in order |
| slated for other needs, such as new school | | | | to accommodate all of the students currently |
| buses, repairs and charter schools. | | | | on waiting lists. With the smaller size and |
| | | | flexibility of charter schools, they can be |
| The other three bond measures were passed for | | | | created and implemented in a very short time, |
| Los Angeles schools new construction and | | | | as compared to the large, traditional Los |
| repairs that were long overdue. Classrooms | | | | Angeles schools that take years to construct. |
| were literally falling apart, and classes | | | | |
| were excessively overcrowded with year-round | | | | The second reason for the drastic drop in |
| schedules for many schools. The previously | | | | enrollment at the Los Angeles schools is |
| passed measures underwrote the current 160 | | | | birth and lifestyle trends: |
| schools on the list for construction. | | | | |
| | | | ? Los Angeles County statistics have shown |
| Many people, however, are asking if this | | | | that hundreds of fewer babies are being born |
| fourth measure is truly needed. According to | | | | in the county each year. The trend is |
| the Los Angeles Daily News, the traditional | | | | expected to continue through to the end of |
| Los Angeles schools are slowly but steadily | | | | the decade. |
| losing students from their rolls. Since the | | | | |
| 2002-2003 school year, the traditional Los | | | | ? Upper income singles and couples with few |
| Angeles schools have lost 4,471 students. | | | | children have replaced neighborhoods that |
| According to Los Angeles schools officials, | | | | were once inhabited by large immigrant |
| they expect another 4,304 to be dropped this | | | | families. With the rising housing prices in |
| year. There are several reasons for these | | | | the Los Angeles schools area, most young |
| drops in enrollment. | | | | families or families with many children can |
| | | | no longer afford to live there, opting to |
| First, one in every 20 students is choosing | | | | move to areas with lower costs of living. |
| to attend a charter or private school, rather | | | | |
| than attend traditional Los Angeles schools. | | | | ? Additionally, according to researchers at |
| The 88 charter schools within the state now | | | | the Public Policy Institute of California, |
| enroll about three percent (about 200,000) of | | | | another trend is smaller immigrant families. |
| the public school students. About 35,000 of | | | | In their 2002 report, they show that after |
| these students attend charter schools within | | | | the first generation, immigrant families |
| the Los Angeles schools. The number of | | | | successively have smaller families. |
| charter schools within the state continues to | | | | |