Los Angeles

State Inspection Finds Progress in Fixing Unsanitary Conditions at Inglewood Schools

Substantial progress has been made in addressing unsanitary and substandard conditions in Inglewood secondary schools, California Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said Friday after inspecting two campuses.

"We're seeing major and significant progress," Torlakson said.

The problems had been brought to light last November in reports by media partners KPCC and NBC4. Torlakson said before then, he had been unaware of the extent of maintenance deficiencies that included pest infestations, mold, and unrepaired damage and deterioration of school buildings, all documented in KPCC photos. Teachers complained of cockroaches and, in some cases, rats.

As part of the "action plan" put into effect, some 85 percent of the identified issues have no been fixed, Torlakson said. His inspections took him to Inglewood and Morningside high schools.

Additional maintenance is still to be done, and some major projects, including a complete repainting of Morningside High for the first time since it opened in 1952, cannot begin until spring or summer break when students are away from campus.

Located southwest of downtown Los Angeles, Inglewood is an independent city of 111,000 that has struggled in recent decades. The departure of the basketball Lakers and hockey Kings from the Forum, and the more recent closure of the Hollywood Park racetrack hurt the city's tax base. The city has recently drawn attention with a proposal for a new stadium that could accommodate an NFL team.

The Inglewood Unified School District, with 18 schools, has been wracked by financial stress, and late in 2012 was placed in receivership by the state department of education. District operation was put in the hands of a state-appointed trustee, currently Don Brann, who stepped in 18 months ago after the departures of two previous trustees.

Brann and the former Assemblyman representing Inglewood, Steve Bradford, accompanied Torlakson on the inspection. All agreed it was apparent that many of the problems were not new, and in some cases, dated back decades.

They faulted generations of mismanagement for allowing a culture of complacency to take root in the district. "There were some people — they had been asleep at the wheel," Bradford said.

Harder to explain was why the maintenance problems had not been addressed sooner after the state took control of the district. When Brann came from another district to take the trustee position in Inglewood, he was not immediately aware of the extent of the problems, he said, and then faced
a need to prioritize them.

"It was difficult to decide what do you tackle first," Brann said.

The state found the district in financial crisis, running a deficit of $18 million, and first needed to bring that under control, said Torlakson.

In 2013, voters in the district approved bond measure GG to provide additional revenue for the district. However, the required oversight mechanism has yet to be set up, and as a result, no funding from GG is yet available.

That same year, the state legislature approved a $56 million grant to the district. While a number of school districts have faced financial stress since the economic crisis of 2008, Inglewood's is one of only two statewide currently in receivership.

Under Brann, the district's maintenance and security operations have been reorganized, with new training and required qualifications for employees. A major goal has been to instill a more responsive culture among employees and administrators, he said.

Since going into receivership, the district has not had a formal board of education, only an advisory panel of appointed members. An election to determine membership is scheduled in April.

It is clear to Torlakson that the district remains in recovery mode, with not just maintenance but academic challenges to be overcome. He and Brann expect the district will be able to achieve a balanced budget this year, and perhaps be ready to emerge from the receivership in two years.

Eventually, Brann hopes the district will have funding to replace its oldest schools, such as Inglewood High.

The long time period over which the problems developed makes it more difficult to set the district on a new course, in the view of Randall Fleming, editor of the Morningside Park Chronicle.

"It's going to take time," said Fleming.

Among those also visiting Morningside High Friday were members of the schools alumni association. "Ultimately we need to support schools better," said Beverly Worthington-Silsbee, Morningside Class of '65.

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