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2024 LAUSD Elections
LAUSD Incumbent Scott Schmerelson on PROP-39 Co-Locations
Board Member Scott Schmerelson answers questions about the issues that arise when public schools are forced to share space with charters.
“If it were not for the questioning of Board President Goldberg, this lie would continue.”
– BD3 Board Member Scott Schmerelson
As of publication, Scott Schmerelson is defending his seat against seven opponents in LAUSD’s Board District 3, which covers most of the western San Fernando Valley. As part of my ongoing Candidate Forum series, Schmerelson was asked five questions about PROP-39 co-locations. For the introduction to this subject along with answers from other candidates, please see the article LAUSD Candidate Forum: PROP-39 Co-Locations.
It should be noted that these responses were received after the Board meeting on September 26, 2023, where the resolution proposed by Goldberg and Rivas was passed by the LAUSD School Board by a vote of four to two (Kelly Gonez did not record a vote). At this meeting, the Director of the Charter School Division, José Cole-Gutiérrez, revealed that, despite what has been told to public school parents for years, state law does not state that a room without a certificated teacher is considered empty. This means that it has been the District’s choice to force some students with special education needs into closets or stairwells to receive needed services.
The following are the candidate’s responses, printed exactly how he provided them with the exception of some minor formatting edits:
- Question 1: Do you support the “Creating a Charter Schools Co-Location Policy to Mitigate Impacts Caused by Proposition 39” authored by Board President Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Rocio Rivas? Yes
Prop 39 locations must be eliminated at all costs. They falsely claim that hundreds of students are waiting to enroll and then we discover that 80% of our co-located charter schools are under-enrolled. This exaggeration of its enrollment numbers eliminates classrooms for use in the host school.
