Inter-District Students Will Receive Reprieve

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

The Los Angeles Unified School District, which recently announced plans to change its inter-district permit policy to keep students—and the money they represent—in the district, has backed down, at least for now, thanks in part to pressure from permit families and neighboring school districts, including the Santa Monica Malibu School District.
LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines announced in February that his district would no longer issue permits to students who live within LAUSD but attend schools in other districts.
According to the SMM-USD, approximately 1250 LAUSD students attend SMMUSD schools on inter-district permits, over 100 of them in Malibu. These students bring an estimated $7 million to the district annually from the state’s average daily attendance fund, but represent a small fraction of the more than 12,000 inter-district students who seek schools outside of the LAUSD, where they reside, and the $50 million in funding they represent.
Cortines initially stated that the LAUSD would only approve employment permits-with current proof that one parent works in the district requested-and senior status permits that would be limited to students in grades five, eight, and 12.
The LAUSD agreed on April 6 to allow the district to approve the “majority” of existing inter-district permits for the 2010-2011 school year. However, a new permit system is expected to take effect in 2011-12, tightening restrictions.
SMMUSD Superintendent Tim Cuneo has gone on record stating that said he supports the rights of all of the district’s transfer permit students and their siblings to continue to attend the schools of their choice.
LAUSD families whose children attend SMMUSD schools can apply online only for a permit at: www. lausd.net. Information on the process is also available at www. smmusd.org