The Los Angeles Unified School District is prepared to fight a decision handed down Superior Court on Wednesday requiring them to set aside more classroom space and facilities for charter school students, the Los Angeles Times reports.
According to the Times, the decision by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Terry Green would require traditional public schools to take into account computer labs, special education classrooms, parent centers and other supplemental facilities when determining how much space they can offer to charter schools.
"On Tuesday, the district asked the court to reconsider its decision. The school system is also preparing an appeal," according to The Times.
California's Proposition 39 requires public school districts to provide charter schools with facilities roughly equivalent to those of public schools. Among its provisions is one that requires districts to offer unused public school campus space to charters.
Currently, public schools determine how much space they can offer to charters based only on how much classroom space they have to offer.
Charter school co-location became a hot topic in Highland Park during the spring when Los Angeles International Charter High School (LAICHS) in Hermon on the campus of .
According to teachers at Franklin, students in the high school's Arroyo Seco Academy magnet to charter students in LAICHS accepted LAUSD's co-location offer.
Monica Whalen, teachers union representative at Franklin, said the co-location of LAICHS students onto Franklin's campus would limit student access to gym and library facilities, burden staff with added administrative tasks and open the school to increased competition from the charter.
LAICS eventually , however, citing fears that protests by Franklin students and teachers leading up to the decision portended a hostile environment for charter school students.
While charters are technically public schools, they operate with much greater independence form LAUSD rules and regulations compared to traditional public schools.
According to the Times, Wednesday's decision is unlikely to have an immediate impact on LAUSD campuses, as only five charter schools are likely to reconsider offers based on the newer, more generous formula.
However, as charter school enrollment expands in the coming years, it is likely that more co-location battles loom.
When Whalen learned that no charters would be moving to the school in 2012/13 she heralded it as a victory, albeit a short-lived one.
At the time of the decision, LAICHS Director of Planning and Development Tony Torres said the school was likely to apply for space at Franklin again next year.
"If there wasn't any hostility, if there was a welcoming environment, if we had time to educate parents about it? We might consider it," Torres said.
For her part, Whalen said she may be open to discussions.
"If they're going to pay for nurse, counselors and services, I'd be more open for them to be on campus," Whalen said.
