Acting LAUSD chief earns $395K as Carvalho collects $440K amid FBI probe

Andres Chait, the new interim head of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), is earning nearly $400,000 annually while filling in for Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who is on leave amid an FBI investigation.

According to LAUSD records, Chait receives a salary of $395,867, plus a $250 monthly stipend for a driver to transport him to school events.

Despite being placed on administrative leave after the FBI conducted raids on several of his properties in February, Carvalho continues to draw his $440,000 annual salary.

Previously, Chait earned $278,205 as Chief of School Operations, but it remains unclear if he continues to receive this salary, according to documents.

The LAUSD school board is slated to review Chait’s current employment contract as acting superintendent during its upcoming board meeting on Thursday.

The significant salary of Chait has drawn attention amid the ongoing mystery surrounding Carvalho’s status and the FBI investigation.

Carvalho’s legal team expresses confidence in his actions following the dramatic raids of his Los Angeles office and properties in San Pedro and South Florida. They believe the evidence will ultimately show that he acted appropriately and with students’ best interests in mind. The team hopes the school board will soon reinstate him as superintendent.

In Carvalho’s absence, the LAUSD has conceded to educator demands by agreeing to nearly a 14% pay raise for teachers and school employees to prevent a strike earlier this week.

“We are proud to have reached resolution with all of our labor partners,” Chait said regarding the agreement.

Meanwhile, the financially challenged LAUSD faces ongoing issues with student performance and budget constraints.

Prior to the new labor agreements, LAUSD anticipated a $1.6-billion deficit by the 2027-28 school year, attributed to significant enrollment declines affecting state funding per student and the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds.

Overall, LAUSD students slightly trail the statewide average in reading and math tests, and they also have marginally lower graduation rates compared to the rest of California.

The California Post has sought comments from LAUSD.

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