LAUSD spares cuts to BSAP, but SENI still faces deep cuts

Los Angeles Unified school board members restored much of the funding they initially proposed cutting from the Black Student Achievement Plan, but the district’s Student Equity Needs Index remains on course for hundreds of millions in reductions. The board is

On Tuesday. the Los Angeles Unified school board restored much of the funding it had planned to cut from the Black Student Achievement Plan—enough to bring relief to students and advocates who feared services would collapse. The vote still left one program untouched by the changes: the Student Equity Needs Index. which is scheduled to lose hundreds of millions over the next several years.

For Ezekiel Getachew, an incoming senior at King Drew Magnet High School, the moment carried both victory and frustration. “I’m glad about how it turned out, but at the same time disappointed that it even had to get to this point,” he said.

The board’s decision came as LAUSD wrestles with financial strain. District officials are anticipating a $1.3 billion deficit in the 2027-28 school year and a projected $3.6 billion deficit for the 2028-29 school year. The pressures are being driven largely by the loss of COVID relief money, rising costs and declining enrollments. On top of that. LAUSD must meet demands tied to labor contracts ratified Tuesday that will cost the district $1.2 billion annually.

During Tuesday’s meeting. LAUSD interim superintendent Andres Chait said. “These realities require us to carefully balance our aspirations for students with our responsibility to ensure the financial stability of the district.” He added. “At the same time. our commitment to students remains unchanged.”.

The original proposal would have cut BSAP by $100 million in both the 2027-28 and 2028-29 fiscal years. That would have left advocates warning of an 86% reduction in funding by the 2027-28 academic year. Instead, board members Kelly Gonez and Karla Griego introduced last-minute amendments that largely spared BSAP.

Gonez’s first amendment restored $50 million to BSAP for fiscal year 2027-28. The restoration came through additional cuts aimed at central office positions. reducing the Los Angeles School Police Department budget. and eliminating a student metro pass program. The board is expected to consider a revised plan in September that would restore another $25 million—bringing BSAP’s 2027-28 budget to $100 million.

The amendment text says: “Staff will prioritize restoration of BSAP and SENI programs with additional revenue, with funding going to the highest needs school first.”

Griego’s second amendment addressed the 2028-29 year differently. It removes the program from the fiscal stabilization plan entirely by drawing $175 million from a trust dedicated to post-employment benefits.

“It shouldn’t be that every time we have issues with funding, or getting budgets together, that the first thing that we look towards is cutting programs that Black students need, or Brown students need,” Getachew said.

Even with those changes, the district’s Student Equity Needs Index remains slated for deeper cuts—leaving advocates uneasy about what will come next for equity-focused support.

Under the fiscal stabilization plan, SENI would lose $400 million in 2027-28 and another $500 million in 2028-29. The SENI reductions could also eliminate roughly 4,500 full time equivalent positions districtwide.

Already. the district’s own budget picture shows why these decisions matter so much: SENI and BSAP account for a relatively small share of LAUSD’s more than $18 billion budget. Within the district’s $7.35 billion unrestricted general fund for 2026-27. SENI accounts for 8.2% at $601 million. while BSAP accounts for 1.7% at $125 million.

In a statement to EdSource. LAUSD said it is committed to supporting students’ academic and social-emotional needs. including through environment programs and counselling. The district said. “At the same time. the District is facing significant financial pressures that require a careful and responsible review of all spending.” It added. “These decisions are not made lightly. We have an obligation to ensure that our resources are aligned with sustainable funding levels so we can continue to serve students effectively not just today. but well into the future.”.

BSAP’s impact, and the support it signals

For students who rely on it, BSAP is not an abstract line item. Mariyah Williams, a recent graduate of San Pedro High School, said the program helped her reach graduation.

“Knowing that there are Black adults on campus that understand what I’m going through, and having that there for me as a resource, is amazing,” she said.

BSAP directs additional staff and resources to schools that collectively serve about one-third of the district’s Black students. Those resources include additional counseling and restorative justice staff, cultural activities and visits to historically Black colleges and universities. Williams said BSAP staff at her school offered academic guidance and helped her navigate emotional hardships.

BSAP has also faced legal and political pressure. In 2023. the conservative group Parents Defending Education filed a complaint alleging that BSAP violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. In response, LAUSD adjusted the program to account for additional factors beyond race when determining eligibility. In 2025, the district increased its budget to $175 million for the 2025-26 budget.

District officials and community members say the program has helped improve outcomes for Black students. Since BSAP’s launch, A-G completion among Black students has risen from 40% to 53.7%, according to the district dashboard. Access to mental and socio-emotional health also rose by roughly 20 percentage points. while parental engagement and participation in extracurriculars have also grown.

Christian Flagg. the director of youth organizing at Community Coalition. a local grassroots organization that works to promote equity in Los Angeles schools. described what the program represents on campus. “If you just provide loving. caring educators and staff that are directed to build relationships and be committed and affirm young people’s culture and their community. then you have a whole different type of school experience. a whole different type of outcomes. ” Flagg said.

The human stakes shift again when SENI is left behind

Even as BSAP received broad support from Tuesday’s amendments, the outlook for SENI remained unchanged—and advocates warned those cuts could threaten the program’s future.

“We are so troubled and concerned and alarmed that a district that has been touted to be an equity champion across the state — even celebrated — at having something like SENI and BSAP really first and most substantially. ” said Day Son. the senior manager of K-12 policy at Catalyst California. which helped develop SENI.

For more than a decade. SENI has used a range of indicators—including academic and community conditions such as prevalence of gun violence—to direct additional funding to schools with the greatest needs. At some campuses. the dollars pay for 10 to 15 additional staff members. including counselors. restorative justice teachers and community representatives who engage in outreach. Some schools also use the funding for career technology programs and supplies.

SENI has been found to help improve English language arts outcomes for socioeconomically disadvantaged students and English learners. Catalyst California’s analysis found the proposed cuts would disproportionately affect the students the program was designed to serve. About 30% of English learners attend SENI’s highest-need schools. and Black and Latinx students would also be among the most heavily impacted.

“What does that mean to even commit and prioritize equity?” Son said. “If we can only do equity in times of abundance and we can’t do equity when it’s times of margin, when it’s hard, then what is equity?”

LAUSD Black Student Achievement Plan BSAP Student Equity Needs Index SENI equity funding school board amendments budget cuts Los Angeles Unified student mental health restorative justice labor contracts COVID relief