Posted: June 27th, 2007

The LAUSD Board met June 26 and heard opposition to the Pay to Play proposal that would require non-profit youth groups to pay for school fields and other facilities after school and on weekends. The Board is expected to vote on the proposal tomorrow, June 28, at 1 pm. We urge you to voice your opposition to the Pay to Play proposal.

Though the Pay to Play proposal is intended to balance the budget by generating $4.7 million in fees, LAUSD cannot balance the budget on the health of our children. This is particularly inappropriate because LAUSD does not enforce state physical education requirements and does not provide quality physical activity that students need.

Non-profit youth groups including Anahuak Youth Association are providing a public service to the children of Los Angeles that LAUSD itself fails to provide. In many instances the children simply cannot afford to pay to play. The present Pay to Play proposal is not well thought out, the details are not clear, and there are no objective and fair standards for deciding who would pay and play — or not. LAUSD and the public defeated a Pay to Play staff proposal in 2005.

We urge the LAUSD Board to reject the Pay to Play proposal now. At a minimum, the proposal requires further study, full and fair public information and participation, and fair and objective standards to exempt non-profits that serve the children who are least able to pay to play. The present proposal fails on all grounds. The children of Los Angeles deserve better.

The public comments from Anahuak Youth Associatin, The City Project, and Mujeres de la Tierra are attached.

See the Los Angeles Times coverage of the Pay to Play proposal.

Please contact school board members and their staff as soon as possible to oppose the Pay to Play proposal.

Los Angeles Unified School District
Board of Education
333 South Beaudry Avenue, 24th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Telephone: 213-241-6389
General Fax Numbers for all Board Members: 213-241-8953 or 213-481-9023

MARGUERITE POINDEXTER LAMOTTE, Dist. 1
marguerite.lamotte@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6382
Fax: 213-241-8441

MONICA GARCIA, Dist. 2
monica.garcia@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6180
Fax: 213-241-8459

JON LAURITZEN Vice Pres., Dist. 3
jon.lauritzen@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6386
Fax: 213-241-8979

MARLENE CANTER President, Dist. 4
marlene.canter@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6387
Fax: 213-241-8453

DAVID TOKOFSKY, Dist. 5
david.tokofsky@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6383
Fax: 213-241-8467

JULIE KORENSTEIN, Dist. 6
julie.korenstein@lausd.net
phone: 213-241-6388
Fax: 213-241-8451

MIKE LANSING, Dist. 7
mike.lansing@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6385
Fax: 213-241-8452

JEFFERSON CRAIN, Executive Officer of the Board
jefferson.crain@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-7002
Fax: 213-241-8443

Board of Education Public Hearing
Tuesday, 6/26/07
2- 5 pm

View the 2005 materials involving the Pay to Play proposal here:
PTSA Resolution
Daily News coverage
Daily Breeze coverage