Steady Increase Forecast in L.A. School District Enrollment

Enrollment estimates for the Los Angeles Unified School District released Monday show steady increases for the next five years from the record high reached last fall.

The long-term projections, recalculated after an unexpected surge of 18,570 new students in September, predict a gradual boost of 2% each year, nudging enrollment up from 667,000 this year to nearly 718,000 in the fall of 2001.

A growing student population is a mixed blessing for school districts because each new student brings additional state funding, but that support generally is not sufficient to build the schools needed to accommodate the increased enrollment.

Los Angeles Unified officials are hoping for voter approval in April of a $2.4-billion school construction bond to help build additional classrooms. On Monday, the school board approved expansion of the proposed bond oversight committee, which will include a representative to be appointed by the mayor, in an attempt to allay public fears about how the money will be spent.