Mariana Dale
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Stories about K-12 education for @laist (formerly KPCC). @LAistUnion proud. Forever Arizonan with a cactus heart. mdale – at – scpr – dot – org
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Articles by Mariana Dale
Student homelessness rises in California even as overall enrollment falls
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . Nearly 300,000 California K-12 students experienced homelessness in the 2024-25 school year, the highest numbers ever recorded by UCLA researchers and a 10% increase from the prior peak in the 2018-19 school year.
How to navigate finding after-school care in LAUSD
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . Many L.A. students don’t head home when the final school bell of the day rings. Instead, they head to an aftercare program on campus or elsewhere in the community. Finding a program can be simple, or tricky, depending on your location and family’s needs.
Inglewood Unified on the cusp of independence as new school year starts
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . Los Angeles County education leaders say Inglewood Unified is emerging from a financial crisis that started more than a decade ago. An estimated 5,000 students returned to district campuses this week for the start of what could be the last school year under the control of an outside administrator.
Inglewood Unified on the cusp of independence as new school year starts
9 hours ago Paramount Skydance’s proposed $111-billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery could result in 4,500 jobs eliminated in Los Angeles over a three-year period, according to a new report. Los Angeles County supervisors earlier this year wanted to explore the potential economic impact of David Ellison’s …
First day attendance was strong at Boyle Heights schools, even as fire clean-up questions remain
On Wednesday morning, Los Angeles Unified School District students returned to campuses for the first day of school. For many, that meant coming back to schools located near a Boyle Heights warehouse that burned for more than a week in June. The disaster forced the district to relocate summer programs at several nearby schools, including Christopher Dena Elementary.
First day attendance was strong at Boyle Heights schools, even as fire clean-up questions remain
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . On Wednesday morning, Los Angeles Unified School District students returned to campuses for the first day of school. For many, that meant coming back to schools located near a Boyle Heights warehouse that burned for more than a week in June.
LAUSD flags lead at two Boyle Heights schools, but says campuses are safe after warehouse fire
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . Los Angeles Unified School District officials said environmental tests have concluded the Boyle Heights warehouse fire in June did not result in widespread contamination at nearby schools. However, on Tuesday they reported lead levels in the soil at two elementary school campuses that exceeded California’s acceptable threshold.
LAUSD students head back to school. Ambition is high but enrollment is down and money is tight
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . As another Los Angeles Unified school year starts Wednesday, district leaders say they hope to maintain recent academic progress while they also contend with a series of budget cuts needed to make ends meet.
LAUSD’s Youngest Students Will Start a Screen-Free School Year. Here’s What Parents Need to Know Original
Join our zero2eight Substack community for more discussion about the latest news in early care and education. Sign up today. Screen time limits for Los Angeles Unified School District’s youngest students begin in August. “My hope and expectation is that most families will see a dramatic reduction in screen time during the school day, but also in the evenings, as mandated by school,” said Nick Melvoin, who represents the Westside’s Board District 4.
More LAUSD students are riding the bus to school. Here’s why ICE raids boosted ridership
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . The backstory: During the last school year, an average of 16,800 students rode the bus each day, up from 15,300 students in the 2023-2024 school year. Federal law requires schools to provide transportation for some students with disabilities.
Newly-released letters show LAUSD moved to fire Carvalho before he resigned
This article was originally published by LAist on Aug. 4. The Los Angeles Unified School Board planned to vote on firing former Superintendent Alberto Carvalho before he abruptly resigned in June, accusing him of “unprofessional conduct” and “unsatisfactory performance,” according to newly-released documents. The letters — released to LAist in response to a public records request — show the district accused Carvalho of more than a dozen violations of district policy and in some cases, state law.
Newly-released letters show LAUSD moved to fire Carvalho before he resigned
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . What the letters say: The bulk of the allegations against Carvalho in are related to not reporting gifts and outside payments for education-related consulting work.
LAUSD letters
A historic Craftsman home in Koreatown was converted into a 19-unit affordable housing development for veterans while preserving its street-facing facade. The $16 million project officially opened Monday. Read on... for more on the project. More details: The project, developed by Holos Communities on city-owned land, preserves much of the home’s original character.
The Boyle Heights warehouse fire ruined their summer. Now students want a ‘normal’ school year
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . The Boyle Heights warehouse fire — and the stench of millions of pounds of rotting food that followed — spoiled summer break for neighborhood kids. “ Summer's been like a worst nightmare because we couldn't be going outside,” said Noah, a 9-year-old student at Eastman Elementary.
LAUSD's youngest students will start a screen-free school year. Here's what parents need to know
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . “My hope and expectation is that most families will see a dramatic reduction in screen time during the school day, but also in the evenings, as mandated by school,” said Nick Melvoin, who represents the Westside’s Board District 4.
LAUSD celebrates third year of academic growth, braces for a challenging school year
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . Students within the Los Angeles Unified School District showed improvements on state reading, math and science standardized tests for a third consecutive year, district authorities announced Tuesday.
LA County officials say LAUSD is at risk of insolvency. Now what?
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . L.A. County Office of Education’s letter to Los Angeles Unified School District earlier this month, warning it was at risk of running out of money, has escalated tensions between county overseers and the state’s biggest school district.
Deadline looms for school districts to put property tax measures on the ballot
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today . With students are out of school, district leaders across L.A. County are deciding whether to ask voters to approve property tax increases this November to fund repairs and renovations. District governing boards have until Aug. 7 to call for ballot measures.
A giant pop-up book unfolds at LA’s Central Library
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . A pop-up book that’s seeking to break the world record for size has unfolded at the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles. The art piece is 31 feet wide, more than 11 feet tall, and weighs in at 1,800 pounds.
LA County officials say LAUSD risks insolvency at current spending levels
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . L.A. County education officials have warned Los Angeles Unified leaders that the district is at risk of financial insolvency — and the loss of local control — without immediate changes to the budget for next year.
Inglewood leaders are one step closer to taking back control of local schools
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . Inglewood Unified is one step closer to independence more than a decade after the state took over the school district amid a financial crisis. A July report found the district has improved its financial and facilities management enough to operate independently.
The World Cup is bringing LA's Norwegians together. You can row with them too
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . Norway’s historic World Cup performance has brought together Southern California’s relatively small, but spirited Norwegian community.
Deadline nears for LAUSD Boyle Heights families to apply for $250 in cash aid
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . Boyle Heights families of school age children impacted by the warehouse fire have until Wednesday afternoon to apply for $250 cash assistance payments. The money comes from the LAUSD Education Foundation’s “ ,” a mixture of donations from individuals and the California Community Foundation.
California could start testing kindergarteners in math
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . California could begin testing students as early as kindergarten in math. Proponents of , including state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, say the goal is to identify students who are falling behind in math early so they can get help. More than perform below the benchmark on the state’s standardized math test.
Kindergarten math test
Two federal agents in blue jackets stand on David Streever's porch at his home in Rochester, N.Y. About the lawsuit: Filed by the nonprofit Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression on Monday in federal court in Washington, D.C., the lawsuit argues that Streever's January email was protected speech and the federal agents' and their superiors violated Streever's First Amendment rights.
For the first time in a decade, an LAUSD insider holds the top job
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . Andrés Chait has worked in the Los Angeles Unified School District for nearly 30 years and has never tried the district’s famous coffee cake.
LAUSD Board Appoints Longtime Administrator Andres Chait as Next Superintendent Original
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The Los Angeles Unified Board voted unanimously to appoint Andres Chait, a longtime district administrator, as superintendent days after his predecessor resigned. “This board’s decision reflects the confidence in Mr. Chait’s leadership, his decades of service to Los Angeles Unified, and his demonstrated ability to guide the district during this period of transition,” said board President Scott Schmerelson.
LAUSD Board Appoints Longtime Administrator Andres Chait as Next Superintendent
The next evolution of digital payments is emerging Paying is getting faster, cheaper, and increasingly invisible. The digital payments industry is in the middle of its second revolution. The first one, …
LAUSD's new screen time rules: No device time for youngest students, more limits for older grades
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . The Los Angeles Unified School Board unanimously approved a policy Tuesday to limit student screen time starting in August. The decision follows a board vote in the spring that required the district to create a policy to set up guardrails on the amount of time students should spend in front of a digital device.
Alberto Carvalho Resigns as LAUSD Superintendent After Four Months on Leave
Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today. This story was originally published on LAist. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has resigned as leader of the Los Angeles Unified School District. (Getty Images) Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has resigned as leader of the Los Angeles Unified School District, four months after the FBI searched his home and office.
LAUSD considers $21 billion spending plan. The problem: revenue isn’t keeping up
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . The Los Angeles Unified School Board is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a nearly $21 billion spending plan for the next school year. The budget includes raises, class size reductions and increased mental health support that are part of new contracts with the district’s largest labor unions.
Alberto Carvalho Resigns as LAUSD Superintendent After Four Months on Leave Original
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has resigned as leader of the Los Angeles Unified School District, four months after the FBI searched his home and office. A district spokesperson confirmed a letter of resignation from Carvalho on Sunday night. The reason for the timing wasn’t immediately clear.
Alberto Carvalho resigns as LAUSD superintendent after four months on leave
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has resigned as leader of the Los Angeles Unified School District, four months after the FBI searched his home and office. A district spokesperson confirmed a letter of resignation from Carvalho on Sunday night. The reason for the timing wasn’t immediately clear.
LAUSD's next budget: Will there be any way to stem pain to important programs?
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . When the Los Angeles Unified School Board voted in May to finalize the elimination of more than 650 jobs as part of a plan to cut spending, its leaders promised more painful decisions would be necessary.
LAUSD takes Cesar Chavez's name off two schools following community votes
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . Los Angeles Unified has renamed two campuses previously named for Cesar Chavez. The move follows a New York Times investigation that found the famed labor leader sexually abused girls and women. The board voted to rename the schools Friday following town hall meetings and among staff, students and parents at .
Duarte students uncover the history of a community buried by freeways Original
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . While implementation of California’s high school ethnic studies mandate has stalled, districts are rolling out classes that encourage students to explore the lesser-told histories of their communities.
LA Mayor Race: Raman Passes Pratt in Quest for Second-Place Slot
LAist Home / Politics City Councilmember Nithya Raman passed Spencer Pratt in the primary contest for L.A. mayor after vote returns counted Sunday. Jun 8, 2026 Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman smiles during her election night party at Boomtown Brewery on June 2, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
Raman overtakes Pratt for second place in LA Mayor’s race
LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman introduces her first set of mayoral campaign policies to build affordable and market rate housing at a press conference in Barnsdall Art Park on Wednesday March 25, 2026. Photo by Jireh Deng. This article was produced by the nonprofit journalism publication LAist. It is co-published here with permission.
Take advantage of your kids’ World Cup excitement with these family-friendly LA activities
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . The World Cup already is a massive undertaking for organizers. So imagine what it would take for families to brave the traffic, parking and crowds for one of the eight tournament matches at SoFi Stadium this summer.
California youth on track to make up a larger share of 2026 primary electorate
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . Young California voters are on track to make up a larger share of the 2026 primary electorate compared to the 2022 primary, according to an analysis of ballots counted so far . As of Thursday, voters aged 18–34 accounted for 13% of all ballots counted. That’s a 4 percentage point increase from the 2022 primary at this time.
LAUSD school board incumbents notch victories in 2026 primary
Incumbents Rocío Rivas and Nick Melvoin will join unopposed incumbent Kelly Gonez in retaining their seats on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board. The LAUSD Board oversees the nation’s second-largest school district, with more than 390,000 students enrolled from transitional kindergarten through the 12th grade. The district is also the county’s second-largest employer, with more than 83,000 educators, administrators and support staff on its payroll.
LAUSD board finalizes hundreds of job cuts, previews future reductions
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . Why now: Thursday’s vote finalizes preliminary layoff notices issued earlier this year to information technology workers, office technicians and staff that support parents and families.
How One South L.A. School Teaches the ‘Nitty-Gritty’ Work of Democracy | LA School Report
Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today. Joel Snyder teachers government and economics at Ánimo Pat Brown Charter High School in L.A.’s Florence-Firestone neighborhood. (Mariana Dale/LAist) This story was originally published on LAist. When Eduardo Mira started his senior year at Ánimo Pat Brown Charter High School, he thought politics was a “fool’s game.” “All I saw from the media was just negativity and division and, like, political violence,” Mira said.
How one South LA school teaches the ‘nitty-gritty’ work of democracy
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . When Eduardo Mira started his senior year at Ánimo Pat Brown Charter High School, he thought politics was a “fool’s game.” “All I saw from the media was just negativity and division and, like, political violence,” Mira said.
A decade after California let some teens pre-register to vote, few are signing up
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . Californians can’t cast a ballot until they turn 18, but for the past decade 16- and 17-year-olds have been able to pre-register to vote and be automatically added to the rolls on their 18th birthday.
Feds open investigation into LAUSD employee misconduct policy
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . Why now: The department accuses the district of maintaining a policy that “automatically” reassigns teachers to other schools when they are accused of sexual misconduct with students and cites a .
Los Angeles Unified School Board District 4: Who's running in the June 2 primary and why it matters
What’s at stake in this race The Los Angeles Unified School Board oversees the nation’s second-largest school district, with more than 390,000 students enrolled from transitional kindergarten through the 12th grade. The district is also the county’s second-largest employer, with more than 83,000 educators, administrators and support staff on its payroll.
Los Angeles Unified School Board District 6: Who's running in the June 2 primary and why it matters
What’s at stake in this race The Los Angeles Unified School Board oversees the nation’s second-largest school district, with more than 390,000 students enrolled from transitional kindergarten through the 12th grade. The district is also the county’s second-largest employer, with more than 83,000 educators, administrators and support staff on its payroll.
Los Angeles Unified School Board District 2: Who's running in the June 2 primary and why it matters
What’s at stake in this race The Los Angeles Unified School Board oversees the nation’s second-largest school district, with more than 390,000 students enrolled from transitional kindergarten through the 12th grade. The district is also the county’s second-largest employer, with more than 83,000 educators, administrators and support staff on its payroll.
California voters greenlit billions of dollars to fix schools. How much has it helped?
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . Nearly two years after California voters approved billions of dollars in bond money to repair aging schools, demand has outstripped the available funds.
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