| The most extensive public school system in the state | | | | either, leading to hordes virtually unemployable young |
| of California is the Los Angeles Unified School District. | | | | people going out on the local job market. In addition, the |
| It is the second largest in the country, after the New | | | | system has long been derisively known for its laden |
| York City system. In 2005, the District served over | | | | bureaucracy. Many attempts to reform the system |
| 710,000 students, and employed more than 74,000. | | | | have been implemented, but none too successfully. |
| Behind the LA country government, the District is the | | | | The divisive school dropout issue has been at the |
| largest employer. | | | | heart of school system reform talks for quite some |
| The whole city of Los Angeles and parts of several | | | | time. A recent study undertaken by the Civil Rights |
| nearby cities are served by the District. It even runs its | | | | Project at Harvard University postulated that only |
| own police department. Amazingly, if the school | | | | about 45 percent of Los Angeles students were |
| system was a Fortune 500 company, it would rank at | | | | graduating within four years. |
| around 250. It operates almost as many buses as the | | | | Lastly, a Washington, D.C. based public policy think tank |
| LA Transportation Authority. Over 500,000 meals per | | | | posited that one year's class of high school dropouts in |
| day are proffered in school cafeterias. | | | | time costs the state of California over 38 billion dollars |
| The system has a reputation for overcrowded | | | | in lost wages, taxes and productivity over the former |
| schools, lackluster maintenance and incompetent | | | | student's lifetimes. |
| administration. The graduation rates are not very high | | | | |