More than 400,000 students attend traditional public and charter schools in Los Angeles Unified, the second-largest district in the nation. LAUSD runs the schools in several other cities in L.A. County, too, such as West Hollywood and South Gate.
The district is also the county’s second largest employer with more than 83,000 educators, administrators, substitutes and support staff on its payroll.
LAUSD doesn't fit neatly into "city" or "county" categories. Although it's enshrined in the L.A. City Charter, LAUSD operates independently of City Hall. That's why you elect school board members directly. That also makes L.A. the largest city in the country in which the mayor has no direct control over the school board.
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School board members have a lot of power. Among other things, school board members:
You might recognize the board's work from:
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A committee appointed by local politicians sets the salary and benefits for LAUSD board members.
As of July 2025, LAUSD school board members receive:
These salaries increase 1% annually through July 2027.
Before 2017, the board’s pay was based on starting teacher salaries at the time, about $45,000 a year.
The Los Angeles Unified School District Board on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024.
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San Fernando Valley mom Roxann Nazario has spent years advocating for her children’s education and on behalf of others in the community.
She said the first person to talk to about your child’s education is their teacher, but if you don’t feel like your question or problem is being addressed, reach out to the principal and other school staff. Then try the regional superintendents — find your region here and the contact information for who’s in charge here.
“There's a chain of command and you have to work your way all the way up,” Nazario said.
To contact the board member who represents your local school or neighborhood (more on how to find them below), you’ll likely first speak to someone who works for their office.
While there’s no guarantee that a board member can or will solve the problem at your individual school, board members LAist has interviewed often pride themselves on listening to and intervening at the local level.
If your goal is to draw wider public attention to an issue — or success — at your child’s school, you might consider attending a board meeting.
The board also has several committees. These meetings are an opportunity to learn more about specific topics and weigh in on policy development, but major decisions must be voted on by the full board.
These are the 2025-2026 school year committees:
You can sign up to have board meeting agendas and other district news emailed to you.
There is an opportunity to speak directly to the board, and whoever may be watching the meeting, during public comment.
Nazario suggests you watch the livestream of a meeting or attend one in person to familiarize yourself with the order of business.
Speakers must pre-register and can comment by phone or in person. They are generally limited to two minutes.
“Don't be afraid to be emotional,” Nazario said. “Don't be afraid to stumble over your words. Like that just shows that you're human and you're not scripted… . You're a real parent just giving your story.”
While board members typically don’t answer questions or respond in the moment, they can dispatch members of their staff to meet with you about your comment. Speaking publicly can also help connect you to other parents, educators and journalists who may report on what you’ve shared.
This summer middle school parent Lyra Kilston read an LAist story about the possibility of a student cellphone ban in LAUSD.
“Phones and social media and mental health and all of that stuff is almost an obsessive topic for certain parents with kids this age,” Kilston said. ”I felt kind of galvanized by the fact that this was being discussed.”
For the first time, she signed up to speak during public comment to express her support for the ban.
“It kind of felt like most of the board members' minds had probably been made up before they came to that meeting,” Kilston said. “But it still felt valuable to be contributing to the conversation.”
Kilston said the experience also helped her better understand who leads the district.
“Seeing all of these people in the process of doing their job made it more real to me,” Kilston said.
Her message for other parents?
“ It was a lot easier than I would have thought to actually voice my opinion to the board.”
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Board members are elected to four-year terms (with a maximum of three full terms), and represent different geographical areas.
You can also reach the entire board at boardmembers@lausd.net or by leaving a voicemail at (213) 443-4472.
District 1 Board Member Sherlett Hendy Newbill
District 2 Board Vice President Rocío Rivas
District 3 Board President Scott Schmerelson
District 4 Board Member Nick Melvoin
District 5 Board Member Karla Griego
District 6 Board Member Kelly Gonez
District 7 Board Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin
Check the board’s calendar for the next regular, special and committee meetings.
The board meets in person in downtown Los Angeles at 333 S. Beaudry Ave.
The board also streams its meetings online, and offers American Sign Language and Spanish interpretation.
Community members can also request interpretation in other languages by contacting the Board Secretariat at secretariat@lausd.net or (213) 241-7002.
Parking in downtown L.A. can be an adventure. We made a map, below, of district-sanctioned and unofficial lots in the area.
Who’s in charge? An independent nonprofit organization with an un-elected board. Some charter schools are affiliated with public districts.
Who funds them? Taxpayers. Charter schools are publicly funded.
Is there tuition? No.
What makes them different from regular public schools? Charter schools are exempt from many laws that govern public education.
The LAUSD board’s influence on charter schools varies and in many cases, charters have boards separate from the district.
Affiliated charter schools are those operated by the district and the LAUSD board’s decisions influence their operations in a similar way to a traditional public school.
Independent charter schools are run by a separate, nonprofit organization. And day-to-day operations are overseen by a separate board, often appointed by the school’s founders or nonprofit leaders.
They might decide on everything from curriculum to hiring and student discipline.
“ The district doesn't generally have any control over any of those local decisions, provided that those decisions are not unlawful or discriminatory,” said Ricardo Soto, chief advocacy officer and general counsel for the California Charter Schools Association.
Charter school operators oversee a much smaller staff and student body than many public school districts.
“It's much more accessible for parents or for guardians of children to attend those board meetings and to get involved," Soto said. “Charter schools are really dependent on their school communities for anything to happen.”
Find out who is on the board, when they meet and how to contact them on your school’s website or by asking your child’s teacher.
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