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