L.A. Unified to Let Chick See Audits

The Los Angeles Unified School District will turn over the audits of the system that City Controller Laura Chick has demanded, but the two camps have found something to squabble over anyway.

School officials said they do not believe Chick has the legal standing to make a request under California’s Public Records Act.

So the district may not send her a letter acknowledging her request within the 10 days that the law requires.

The result: yet one more tiff between city and school officials prompted by City Hall’s new and aggressive interest in the affairs of the independently run school district.

Glenn Gritzner, special assistant to Supt. Roy Romer, said Friday that the district would provide the old audits to Chick in a week or two.

But he said Chick could not invoke the Public Records Act because she was a city officeholder.

So, he said, sending an official response would mean “you’re going down a road that she gets whatever she wants, or whatever.”

Hearing that, Chick said she was surprised and disappointed.

“My first reaction is, oh, my goodness -- what silly, silly games are being played,” she said.

“This is about our children’s education. I keep getting more and more stunned by LAUSD’s behavior.”

The issue is not the only disagreement between town and gown. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is in the midst of a campaign to take over the district, an idea opposed by members of the school board.

Chick, meanwhile, has asked the district’s permission to conduct an audit, an idea opposed by Romer, who says the district has been sufficiently audited.

Undeterred, on Dec. 27 Chick sent the Public Records Act request for five years of audits, saying she wants to see what the district has learned from earlier reports.

Chick’s office believes that the period to respond ended Friday, 10 days from the date she sent the letter to the district.

Gritzner disagreed with that as well.

He said the district received the letter Jan. 3, when its offices reopened after Christmas break.

Therefore, he said, district officials have until Jan. 13 to respond -- that is, if they respond at all.

However, Gritzner added, “We don’t need to be arguing about this. We’re going to get her what she wants.”