Judge Rules Against Villaraigosa Education Reforms

A state judge has cut short Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s plan to take some control of the Los Angeles Unified School District. The plan, passed in Assembly Bill 1381 earlier this year, would have shifted some control of certain underperforming schools away from the school board and to Villaraigosa starting Jan. 1. Superior Court Judge Dzintra I. Janavs ruled Thursday afternoon that the law was unconstitutional. The ruling is a major blow to Villaraigosa’s plan to reform the district, which has been the cornerstone of his term. One group that has also strongly advocated for reforms has been the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, which called for a breakup of the LAUSD into smaller districts of not more than 50,000 students. In a statement released after the Thursday ruling, VICA Chairman Robert Scott said the organization “remains committed to working with all officeholders towards meaningful reforms at LAUSD.” “To VICA, smaller school districts are still the best option, but we support the mayor’s efforts to play a wider role at LAUSD,” he said. Villaraigosa is expected to appeal the decision.