Civil rights groups filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District last week alleging that millions of dollars intended to help low-income, foster-care, and English-learner students were diverted to special education services.
The nonprofit law firm Public Advocates and the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California assert the district used the funds toward special education costs instead of spending the money on services for the students targeted under a new funding law that provides districts with higher numbers of high-need students with additional funds. The law is considered one of the nation’s largest public undertakings to equalize educational opportunities.
Public Advocates and the ACLU estimate that high-need students were deprived of about $126 million in the 2014-15 school year and $288 million in the next. The district did not immediately return a request for comment.
