Los Angeles school board names superintendent, passes budget

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(The Center Square) – The Los Angeles Unified School District board has named a former kindergarten teacher and principal as permanent superintendent and approved its 2026-2027 budget.

The district on Thursday announced Andrés E. Chait, the acting superintendent since February 2026, is now superintendent. He succeeds Alberto Carvalho, who was put on paid leave following an FBI investigation for unannounced reasons. Carvalho resigned Sunday night.

As acting superintendent, Chait has led the district through labor talks and budget planning. He began his career with the district as a kindergarten teacher and went on to work as a principal and the district's chief of school operations.

"After careful consideration, the Board determined that Andrés Chait is uniquely qualified to lead this district," said Scott Schmerelson, president of the district's Board of Education, in a statement. "He knows our schools, understands our challenges, has earned the trust of employees and school communities, and has already demonstrated his ability to lead with integrity, transparency, and a relentless focus on students."

Earlier this week, the board passed its $20.6 billion budget and Local Control and Accountability Plan, which include raises for teachers, staff and administrators. But it is 10% more than the previous budget and exceeds the district's revenue by $2 billion. LAUSD plans to cover the difference by dipping into its reserves.

Agreements for the raises were first announced in April.

Much of Tuesday’s discussion centered around things such as declining enrollment, rising operational costs and the loss of federal COVID-19 relief dollars. Meanwhile, board members said  LAUSD continues to see encouraging progress in student achievement, with gains in key academic indicators and a continued focus.

“This budget reflects important investments in programs that support student success, including ongoing commitments to English Learners and high-need students, tutoring and expanded learning, and workforce compensation,” said Nick Melvoin, representing District 4 on the board.

Most of the budget, $12 billion, will go toward day-to-day operations. Another $4 billion will be used for building and facility renovation projects. Still, some citizens were not pleased that LAUSD cut $25 million from the school police department’s budget.

"There were many parents who asked for more school police, and yet those parents were not listened to,” said Maria Luisa Palma, executive director of Oleada Inc., speaking to the school board. Oleada is an organization that aims to promote parent leadership and hold LAUSD accountable.

In terms of screen time limits for devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops, the new policy will be phased in and apply to all K-12 students, but in different ways.

Beginning in August, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first-grade students will face a 0-minute screen time rule. In November, third-grade students will start being limited to 20 minutes, whereas fourth- and fifth-grade students will be limited to 30 minutes per day. 

Starting in January 2027, students in grades 6-8 will be limited to an hour per subject per week. Also in January, high school students will be limited to 90 minutes per subject per week.

Screens were common during the COVID pandemic and carried over into in-classroom instruction once students returned.  Nationwide, concerns have been expressed across the country that students spend too much time on screens and electronics in classrooms, which may be impacting educational outcomes.

"A child sitting in front of a screen for hours is not getting a better education simply because the content is online,” said Melvoin, who brought the resolution to consider the screen time policy.