Charters see win in court ruling
By Connie Llanos and Susan Abram/Los Angeles Daily News
Charter school advocates Thursday trumpeted a new court decision as a legal victory for their side which could force Los Angeles Unified School District to offer campus space to every charter operator who requests it. The Los Angeles Superior Court ruling, which addresses only two elements of a larger legal challenge, was issued under a lawsuit filed by the California Charter School Association to enforce a state ballot measure designed to give more space to charters. The suit centered around Proposition 39, approved by voters in 2000, which critics think was written vaguely as it states district facilities must be shared "fairly among all public school pupils, including those in charter schools." LAUSD officials, however, dispute the charter association's interpretation of the new order, which court officials said is not available yet in final written format. David Holmquist, LAUSD's general counsel, said the court order was favorable to the district because it simply restates a legal requirement that LAUSD already intended to follow. (more…)