WATCH: Los Angeles schools superintendent renews contract

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(The Center Square) - The Los Angeles Board of Education unanimously voted this week to renew its four-year contract with Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, amid a major budget deficit and enrollment decline. 

Since 2022, Carvalho has served as superintendent. LAUSD highlighted his achievements over the past three years. LAUSD told The Center Square that Carvalho’s salary is $440,000, but he will not be seeking or accepting a salary increase in the coming years. The specifics of his contract will be announced in October. 

“I am deeply honored by the Board’s confidence and the opportunity to continue serving the students and families of Los Angeles Unified,” Carvalho said. “I look forward to building on this momentum and ensuring that every child in every neighborhood has access to the high-quality education they deserve.”

Under his tenure, students have attained the highest academic performance, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, the LAUSD press release said. 

In July, the nation’s second-largest school system announced record-breaking academic performance amid enrollment decline. The superintendent claimed that student performance is better than ever, as shown by the Smarter Balanced Assessment.

Overall, 46.5% of students met grade-level standards in English Language in tests conducted back in April and May. In the subject of math, the number was 36.7%. 

Morgan Scott Polikoff, a professor of education at University of Southern California in Los Angeles, explained that the numbers indicate that every two in three students are not meeting the academic standards for their grade within a school system of about 400,000 students. 

Carvalho is considered an expert in school finance, governance and advancing equity and constitutional rights for all students, according to the school district.

In June, LAUSD board members unanimously approved the 2025-26 budget of $18.8 billion, which put the LAUSD at a $2.9 billion deficit with its projected revenue for the next fiscal year at $15.9 billion. 

Carvalho highlighted the new amended budget investments of almost $60 million to programs such as the Black Student Achievement Plan, accelerated arts investment, protection and training toward supporting LGBTQ+ students.

“They (the budget) are above all ethical and moral priorities that our school district should embrace. Doing the right thing despite the opposition,” said Carvalho. “We are on the right side of history as we make these budgetary investments.”

Though LAUSD student enrollment has significantly decreased in the past two decades — from 747,009 in 2003-04 to 387,152 students this year — board members continue to support budget increases.

“Superintendent Carvalho has shown steady leadership during challenging times at Los Angeles Unified. As challenges continue, we believe that his tenure can continue an upward trend in student performance and appreciate his openness to new ideas with the board's insight and direction,” Board President Scott Schmerelson said. “I look forward to working closely with Mr. Carvalho and am happy to move forward with his leadership for another four years."