LAUSD Cuts $10 Million in Charter School Grants

Parents, students and teachers at 42 affiliated charter schools plan rallies to protest the loss of supplemental district funding.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Financial Aid

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a plain school building facade with a single open doorway, in deep red and cream, evoking the loss of school funding. — The Los Angeles Unified School District is cutting a $10 million supplemental grant to 42 affiliated charter schools, drawing planned rallies from parents, students and teachers. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should school districts cut funding to charter schools to close budget deficits?

Parents, students and teachers plan to hold rallies to protest a $10 million grant cut affecting 42 LAUSD-affiliated charter schools. The district eliminated the supplemental Charter Block Grant allocation to address a $3.6 billion deficit.

Why it matters

The district says the cuts are necessary to help plug a deficit caused by falling enrollment and rising costs. Demonstrators warn the reduction will strip support from nearly 25,000 students at affected schools.

The $10 million cut affects 42 affiliated charter schools serving nearly 25,000 students, against a projected $3.6 billion LAUSD deficit. Riverside Drive Charter School parents say it could lose nearly half a million dollars and at least 12 staff positions, though the district has not detailed how the reductions will be distributed across schools.

The players

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)

The second-largest public school district in the United States, which oversees public education across Los Angeles and announced the elimination of the supplemental grant.

Riverside Drive Charter School

A Los Angeles charter school whose parents say it could lose nearly half a million dollars and at least 12 staff positions under the cut.

The details

The eliminated funding was a supplemental Charter Block Grant provided to 42 affiliated charter schools that began operating before fiscal year 2012-13, sourced from central district resources after the state's Charter School Categorical Block Grant ended in 2013. Affiliated schools will continue to receive funding through norm-based allocations and other District programs.

Tuesday: Rallies planned at several campuses and public comment at an afternoon board meeting.

Funding History

The supplemental allocation was created after the state's Charter School Categorical Block Grant ended in 2013, when district central resources were used to fill the gap. The current cut reverses that stopgap, extending a funding shift that began more than a decade ago.

Families at affiliated charter schools may see changes to staffing, programs and services if the grant cut proceeds as planned. Parents and students can attend the planned rallies on Tuesday or raise concerns during public comment at the afternoon board meeting.

The takeaway

School funding changes often ripple beyond budget documents into classroom staffing and student services. Families affected by reductions can track board meetings and public comment periods to follow decisions as they develop.