The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) joins the multiple entities that are already informing the communities about the importance of being counted in the 2020 Census.
It should be noted that LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation – after New York – and houses approximately half a million students; Among them, a large percentage belong to minorities.
Unfortunately, these students run the risk of not being counted properly since most LAUSD schools are in areas considered difficult to count.
Based on data from the 2010 Census, California received about $ 1,950 per person annually in federal funds and the state lost a seat in Congress for the first time since obtaining the status of state in 1850.
They put the batteries
Antonio Plascencia, director of services for parents and the community of LAUSD, said that this year the district is creating a plan to inform all parents with the goal of getting them to count with their children, regardless of age or migratory status.
The more than 60,000 LAUSD employees, including teachers, administrators and office staff, are already receiving the appropriate information from the Census so that they can also disseminate the information appropriately.
The Angelino School District will also be focusing on visiting early education centers; as well as extracurricular programs, such as "Beyond The Bell".
"We are also coordinating with teams that will empower student leaders and we will be in more than 500 parent centers to inform them (about the count)," Plascencia explained.
"There they can also fill out the form in case they have questions."
Each of the six LAUSD districts are working with parents and nonprofit organizations to offer informational workshops.
"We are organizing to provide resources based on information from Los Angeles County of these difficult-to-count areas," Plascencia explained.
These include in the southern area San Pedro, Watts, Harbor City, Florence-Firestone, Gardena and Baldwin Hills; and in the southeast area to Maywood, Bell, Cudahy, South Gate and Huntington Park.
How will they disclose the information?
The director of parent services at LAUSD said there are several methods that will be released from February.
These include: public service reports, banners and general communications. All in six languages; English, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog and Armenian.
“Sometimes people find it difficult to understand that (in the Census too) they are talking about their school and that they are affected in what the funds are being,” said Plascencia.
So through a video with cartoons, which will be distributed by social networks, it will be identified who can participate and why it is important to include everyone even the smallest.
“They have to include all the people, also those who are living in the home during the count and the people who are living in the garages,” he added.
Additionally, student centers will begin to receive banners that will be placed at the entrance of school sites as well as at the main offices.
“These include an image developed by the students of the Statue of Liberty with a graduation cap indicating that the Census is coming,” said Plascencia.
Finally, as the counting date approaches, which starts on April 1, all households whose children attend a LAUSD school will receive a general statement either by email, text message or call with recorded information announcing the date of the census.
"We want to tell the parents of LAUSD that the census is the most important democratic event of 2020 and that it gives us the opportunity to participate regardless of language, religion, immigration status or age," concluded Plascencia.
