LAUSD audit

State auditor Elaine Howle takes a look at what LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is taking over at LAUSD. Both the 2000 and 2004 reorganizations achieved staffing reductions, but by December 2005 support services staffing levels had increased to levels that exceed those existing before the 2000 reorganization, which LAUSD attributed to the need for additional employees to manage school construction and information services efforts. Only four of the eight local district Parent/Community Advisory Councils (advisory councils) created by the 2000 reorganization plan are still operating, and LAUSD has not attempted to measure parent satisfaction with the remaining advisory councils. Although LAUSD has established measurable benchmarks and goals for the superintendent, it has not replicated this practice with other managers responsible for improving student achievement. LAUSD has addressed many of the concerns over the salary-setting practices that we noted in a July 2001 audit, but its Personnel Commission still does not have written procedures for determining salaries or appropriate documentation to support salary-setting recommendations for classified managers and executives. Based on our survey of four of the nation's largest school districts, LAUSD's salaries are higher than those of comparable positions for more than half of the 27 high-level positions surveyed, but there may be factors that justify such differences.