MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
November 19, 2014
Contact: Communications Office, 213-978-0741
LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION VOTES TO SUPPORT MAYOR GARCETTI’S MINIMUM WAGE PROPOSAL
LOS ANGELES — Yesterday, the members of the Board of Education of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) voted unanimously to support Mayor Eric Garcetti’s proposal to raise the minimum wage in Los Angeles, which will help the more than 500,000 working Angelenos currently earning poverty-level wages.
“Raising the minimum wage in LA is about more than dollars and cents. An increased minimum wage will help parents spend less time working second and third jobs and more time helping with homework,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “I’m pleased to have the LAUSD Board’s support in raising the wage here in Los Angeles for the benefit of our families and communities.”
“The economic stability of families is a public education issue,” said LAUSD Board Member Steve Zimmer. “The more that we can do as a City to support our families who are living on the fringes of the American Dream, the more we will find success in our classrooms. Supporting a minimum wage for all Angelenos is an important step in a multi-faceted process of lifting families out of poverty.“
Below, find the text from Board Member Steve Zimmer’s resolution, “Resolution in Support of Increasing the Minimum Wage in Los Angeles to Reduce Impact of Poverty on Education” (Res-026-14/15):
- Whereas, 27% of Angelenos (approximately 1,041,660 people) currently live in poverty;
- Whereas, Over 75% of Los Angeles Unified School District students and their families are living in poverty;
- Whereas, Low income families often struggle to afford adequate housing, quality health care and may be forced to live in crowded or unsafe conditions that increase their children’s vulnerability to illness and stress, which often leads to poorer school performance;
- Whereas, Low income parents also may be unable to afford educational resources or enriching activities that help prepare their children for school;
- Whereas, Children living in poverty have been shown to have higher rates of school absenteeism, and are seven times more likely to drop out of school than children who are not living in poverty;
- Whereas, Increasing the minimum wage is one of the most effective ways to combat poverty and stabilize families and communities; and,
- Whereas, Mayor Eric Garcetti has also proposed an increase to the minimum wage to $13.25 an hour by 2017, when it will then be indexed to a cost of living index; now, therefore, be it
- Resolved, That the Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District supports increasing the citywide minimum wage and encourages other cities in the County to do the same; and, be it finally
- Resolved, That by adoption of this resolution, the Board hereby encourages the Los Angeles CityCouncil to adopt Mayor Garcetti’s proposal to increase the minimum wage to $13.25 by the year 2017 tied to a cost of living index thereafter.
