"We're Being Left Behind": South LA Parents Demand Answers on District's New School Closures Plan

Parents, teachers, and local advocates gathered outside the Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters on Beaudry Avenue last week to voice their frustrations over a proposal that could close or merge twelve schools across South Los Angeles by 2028. The plan, aimed at addressing a $6.2 billion budget deficit, has sparked fierce resistance from residents who say their communities have already sacrificed enough.

"Every few years, they come to us with another plan that treats our neighborhoods like they're expendable," said Maria Sandoval, a mother of two who attended the rally near the LAUSD central office. Sandoval's children attend Jefferson Elementary in the Vernon Central neighborhood, one of the schools on the proposed closure list. "Our kids deserve the same resources as students in Brentwood or Pacific Palisades."

The closures disproportionately affect predominantly Black and Latino communities, with eight of the twelve targeted schools located south of the 10 freeway. Schools such as Sotomaxi Elementary in Watts and Liechter Middle in Inglewood face consolidation with nearby campuses that already operate at reduced capacity. District officials argue the moves are fiscally necessary, but community members argue they reflect systemic neglect rather than genuine solutions.

Teachers' unions have also weighed in. "We support closing schools that truly need it, but not before the district invests in the ones we have," said Robert Chen, a representative with United Teachers Los Angeles. "South LA schools have half the counselors and librarians they need. Fix those problems first."

Data from the district shows South LA schools receive approximately $1,200 less per pupil annually compared to wealthier neighborhoods—a disparity advocates say stems from property tax-based funding mechanisms that disadvantage lower-income areas. Enrollment has declined 15 percent across targeted campuses over five years, driven partly by families seeking charter school alternatives and middle-class outmigration.

The LAUSD board will vote on the proposal in August, but community organizing efforts are intensifying. Residents have formed a coalition spanning from Compton to South Central, demanding more input and better solutions. "They didn't ask us what we actually need," said James Washington, whose three grandchildren attend schools in the affected zones. "They just decided to take them away."

The conversation reflects broader tensions in Los Angeles about educational equity and resource allocation—questions the district must answer before implementing changes that will reshape neighborhoods already struggling with poverty and disinvestment.

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