California Spends $578 Million on the Taj Mahal of Schools

by Jessica Shiller · 2010-08-26 05:17:00 UTC
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$578 million dollars is what a new high school cost to build in Los Angeles. Just to put that in perspective, among the recent Race to the Top grants, the state of Maryland won $250 million to supplement its state budget. Not even half of what this one school cost.

The school, named after Robert F. Kennedy Jr., embodies mis-management of funds by public school administrators. Los Angeles laid off 3000 teachers this year, and the state faces a $640 million dollar budget shortfall. In spite of that, LA Unified School District paid for this new school. What's wrong with this picture?

What is surprising is that there are not thousands of public school students and employees out in the street to protest this gross misuse of funds. No school needs to cost $578 million, especially in a budget crisis.

District leaders claim that the school is paid for by a bond, and no money comes out of the school budget, but what informed public would vote for a school that is so costly? Was the public fully informed or what the decision to build the school a decision made by out of touch school leadership who are not giving the district what it really needs.

Photo credit: Christian Haugen

Jessica Shiller is the education policy director for Advocates for Children and Youth in Baltimore, MD.
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