Photo: Getty Images
There have been public calls recently calling for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education to defund this police budget.
However after Tuesday night, the board rejected the proposal that would've slashed 90% of the budget by 2024.
Monica Garcia was the board member in charge of the proposal and felt like reducing this money from the police budget could have the funds redirected to the "highest need schools in support of African-American students."
The LAUSD is the nation's second-largest school district which led some of the board members to feel reluctant to take a drastic action without an alternative plan in place.
"I would regret for the rest of my life if I left any student vulnerable, any student in danger," board member Richard Vladovic said.
Garcia acknowledge that the district and its police officers are doing the best they can, but it's not good enough.
"This is about systemic racism and classism," Garcia said.
46% of Black students are below average while only 13% are above average. "Today calls on us to do something more," she said. "I don't fool myself for one minute that this is the solution to everything."
Board member Scott Schmerelson agrees with Garcia but doesn't think defunding the police would work,
"We all want change. We all want reform,'' he said. "But to get rid of school police? No."
For more information, please read here.