SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson issued the following statement after Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 533, providing for an emergency loan and state takeover of the Inglewood Unified School District:
“The Governor’s action was necessary to keep Inglewood’s public schools operating and serving students despite the district’s extreme financial difficulties,” Torlakson said. “The Department of Education will consult with the Los Angeles County Office of Education to name an experienced administrator to oversee the long and difficult process of returning the district to solvency and, ultimately, local control.”
After taking office nearly two years ago, Torlakson warned that California’s schools were in a state of financial emergency, and urged that years of severe budget cuts to schools be reversed to avoid sending more school districts into insolvency.