By The Numbers

The LAUSD shutdown, by the numbers

Sarah Menendez and Janet Nguyen Dec 15, 2015

The Los Angeles Unified School District shut down all the schools in its purview after receiving a safety threat Tuesday morning. At least one school board member received an emailed bomb threat, according to NBC Los Angeles. LAUSD is the country’s second-largest school district, serving hundreds of thousands of students.  

Here’s a look at the numbers underpinning the shutdown:

640,000

That’s how many K-12 students are affected by the LAUSD’s decision to close its schools. Students were sent home as officials look into the the threat.  

“I am not taking a chance of bringing children into a place, into any part of a building, until I know that it’s safe,” said LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines at a conference Tuesday morning. “I, as superintendent, am not going to take the chance with the life of a student.”  

1,274 schools

That’s how many schools will be checked in order to clear the threat made. The district superintendent expects that it may take longer than one day to clear every campus.

$10,442

That’s how much LAUSD spent per student during the 2013-2014 school year based on their Average Daily Attendance (ADA) rate, which is defined as the number of days a student has attended school divided by the number of days of instruction. In a press release, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said his staff will work with LAUSD so it can qualify for relief from loss of ADA funds on the day of the shutdown. 

710 square miles

That’s how far LAUSD stretches. The district covers all of Los Angeles as well as surrounding unincorporated communities and 31 municipalities in the LA area.

2,400

That’s how many bus routes LAUSD serves year round: about 1,600 during the traditional school year calendar and 800 during the summer.  

59,823

That’s the total number of school district employees set to work during the 2015-16 school year, which includes 25,566 K-12 teachers and 2,366 K-12 administrators.

 

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