LAUSD board approves $1.1M plan to resolve Jefferson High School class-scheduling issue

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Unified School District board unanimously approved a $1.1 million plan Tuesday to resolve class-scheduling issues at Jefferson High School in South L.A. The issues have hundreds of seniors worried they may not graduate on time.

According to court documents, at least 48 seniors at the school were unable to attend classes they need in order to graduate. Also, 204 juniors and seniors were assigned to classes they've already passed.

The students said they had far too much free time on their hands. Some students claimed they sat in the auditorium, assigned to so-called courses where there was no teacher. Others were being sent home to study.

The district and the state said they didn't have the money to take care of the issue. So, it was taken up in superior court in Alameda County, where a judge ordered the state to put up the money to fix the problem. That's where the $1.1 million deal came in to play.

With that money, the LAUSD board approved a plan to extend the school day at Jefferson High School 30 minutes for 124 days so students can make up the learning time they lost. The extension goes into effect Monday. The LAUSD board also plans to add classes and funding to support students and add student transportation services to the school.

They're going to look into next semester's curriculum to make sure this doesn't happen again and also look into the issue of overcrowded classrooms at the school.

All the details of the resolution were unanimously approved at a board meeting at LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon.