There’s no clear answer if school is out Tuesday for the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The nation’s second-largest district reached a tentative deal over the weekend with United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA), which represents principals and other school leaders.
What’s the status of the strike?
The members of SEIU Local 99, which represents classroom aides, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and other staffers, have not reached a deal with the school district as of Monday afternoon.
UTLA and AALA promised to carry out a solidarity strike if the district does not reach a deal with the third union.
LAUSD students, along with their guardians and parents, are waiting for word on what the rest of the week holds as the contract negotiations continue.
What is going to happen on Tuesday?
In a statement Thursday, LAUSD announced contingency plans and a landing page on its website for families to find food distribution sites, child care, mental health resources and take-home learning support.
The district is bracing for all 520,000 students to be out of school on Tuesday, but that could change if a deal is struck with SEIU Local 99.
Several community organizations are preparing to offer childcare, meals and other support for families in Koreatown, Pico Union, and Westlake
What resources will be available to local residents?
Childcare
The YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles is launching a Student Support Day Care program during the strike, according to spokesperson Christina Bragg.
At the Anderson Munger Family YMCA in Koreatown, childcare will be offered free of charge for LAUSD students ages 4 years and 9 months to 11 years old. The program will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and includes meals, snacks and supervised activities.
Registration opens April 13 at 11 a.m. and is first come, first served.
The Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC) plans to extend hours at three sites and open its doors for families who need childcare. The center is also preparing to expand services if the strike happens, said Andrea Rojas, director of children and youth development.
Wilton Center: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for elementary and middle school students
Menlo Family Source Center: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for middle and high school students
Lafayette site: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for middle and high school students
Services will be free for families already enrolled in the KYCC afterschool program. New families can access care for a $50 daily fee.
Free meals
Central City Neighborhood Partners will distribute food at its two locations in Westlake and Koreatown, said Diana Alfaro, associate executive director.
At the Westlake site, families can pick up food Monday from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. and Thursday from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. No registration is required.
CCNP will also be offering programming for youth between K-12 from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., and then continue to offer after-school programming for youth until 6 p.m. Alfaro said families should call either site for more information or to register for programming.
The Westlake location can be reached by calling 213-482-8618 and the Koreatown location’s number is 213-518-5284.
Students will need to be preregistered and will be accepted on a first come first serve basis until CCNP reaches capacity.
For middle and high school students, YMCA locations will provide free access to facilities and programming, with meals and snacks available as needed. For more information, visit YMCA’s website.
The Bresee Foundation in Koreatown will open its doors to 80 middle school students and 80 high school students, along with their siblings, said Dunia Perich, the foundation’s associate executive director.
The center will be open from 8 a.m. – 6:15 p.m. for middle school students and from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. for high school students. Morning programming will include a range of activities, followed by regular after-school programming in the afternoon.
Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and the center recommends calling ahead to confirm whether capacity has been reached.
The nonprofit Pico Union Project invited the teachers of 10th Street Elementary to use their facilities while the faculty and other staff are on the picket lines.
- The organization also hosts a weekly, free farmers market and food distribution event every Thursday, which will resume on April 16.
- “Pico Union Project is rooted in this community and remains a resource for all who need us,” Serena Oberstein, Interim Executive Director at the Pico Union Project, said in a statement.
