| On November 8th, the voters of who live in | | | | they expect another 4,304 to be dropped this |
| the Los Angeles schools district will be | | | | year. There are several reasons for these |
| faced with their fourth proposition, called | | | | drops in enrollment.First, one in every 20 |
| Measure Y. The $3.985 bond measure, which | | | | students is choosing to attend a charter or |
| will be paid by property taxes, is for more | | | | private school, rather than attend |
| planned expansion within the Los Angeles | | | | traditional Los Angeles schools. The 88 |
| schools, allowing them to add another 25 | | | | charter schools within the state now enroll |
| elementary schools to the current list of 160 | | | | about three percent (about 200,000) of the |
| schools that are scheduled to be constructed | | | | public school students. About 35,000 of these |
| by year 2012. Some of the money also is | | | | students attend charter schools within the |
| slated for other needs, such as new school | | | | Los Angeles schools. The number of charter |
| buses, repairs and charter schools.The other | | | | schools within the state continues to |
| three bond measures were passed for Los | | | | increase, with another 20 new charter schools |
| Angeles schools new construction and repairs | | | | planned for this fall.The California Charter |
| that were long overdue. Classrooms were | | | | Schools Association predicts that ten percent |
| literally falling apart, and classes were | | | | of public school students within the state |
| excessively overcrowded with year-round | | | | will attend charter schools by the year 2014, |
| schedules for many schools. The previously | | | | with perhaps an even higher percentage in the |
| passed measures underwrote the current 160 | | | | Los Angeles schools area. They cite that the |
| schools on the list for construction.Many | | | | number of charter schools would need to |
| people, however, are asking if this fourth | | | | triple in order to accommodate all of the |
| measure is truly needed. According to the Los | | | | students currently on waiting lists. With the |
| Angeles Daily News, the traditional Los | | | | smaller size and flexibility of charter |
| Angeles schools are slowly but steadily | | | | schools, they can be created and implemented |
| losing students from their rolls. Since the | | | | in a very short time, as compared to the |
| 2002-2003 school year, the traditional Los | | | | large, traditional Los Angeles schools that |
| Angeles schools have lost 4,471 students. | | | | take years to construct. |
| According to Los Angeles schools officials, | | | | |