Measure A, the voter-approved new 1/2-cent sales tax measure, will provide funding that could help these often-invisible people. And building racially just, relationship-centered community schools can respond to the needs of students whom schools typically fail, creating a more welcoming and affirming school climate, and thus, fostering student safety and engagement. 

“The Latina/o community faces homelessness at disproportionately high rates due to a range of challenges, including a shortage of affordable housing, barriers related to immigration status, and lasting impacts of the pandemic,” said Vanessa Aramayo, President and CEO of Alliance for a Better Community (ABC), a Catalyst California partner working to improve school environments for students. “Increased opportunities for economic mobility are key to addressing these challenges, as families need access to living-wage jobs, equitable economic opportunities, and strong support systems to break the cycle of instability and ensure their children can thrive in school and beyond.”        

Our Los Angeles County analysis also shows that, despite slight improvements, school absenteeism rates for students of color remain stubbornly high.  



About 38 percent of Black students miss school too often—down from last year’s 43 percent, but still the highest of any racial group. The rate for Latinx students also remains high at 30 percent. Asian students had the best rate at 8 percent, slightly better than White students. 

“Chronic absenteeism in Latina/o communities disrupts educational progress and limits opportunities for future success, contributing to widening achievement gaps,” Aramayo said. “By fostering a supportive school environment, offering community engagement, and addressing systemic barriers, we can ensure every student has the chance to thrive and succeed in their education.”    

These rates reflect a disturbing trend of school push-out and discrimination that disproportionately affects Black students. And even as absenteeism rates gradually improve for all students, they remain significantly higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The report also shows that Los Angeles County police agencies stop Black drivers more than three times as often as White drivers, and those stops make up nearly a fifth of all traffic stops. Black residents are only about 9 percent of the county’s population. 

Officers stop Black drivers at a rate of just over 181 per 1,000 Black people. In comparison, they stop White drivers at a rate of just over 58 stops per 1,000 White people. Asian drivers have the fewest stops, with a rate of just over 24. 

As implementation of Proposition 36 ramps up, our findings presage a return to more surveillance and imprisonment of BIPOC communities across the state. A return to this failed approach will only bloat prison and jail populations – a regressive move with a human and fiscal impact that Californians can’t afford. 

RACE COUNTS is a data-driven initiative that uses race as the primary lens to understand inequity in California. It ranks the state’s 58 counties in seven issue areas to paint a comprehensive picture of racial disparity to dismantle systemic racism and transform our public systems. In addition to the data tool, RACE COUNTS generates research reports and data briefs, and supports community organizations in their policy change and advocacy efforts.  

Visit the updated www.racecounts.org site to explore the data through maps, charts, and more.

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About Catalyst California

Catalyst California advocates for racial justice by building power and transforming public systems. We partner with communities of color, conduct innovative research, develop policies for actionable change, and shift money and power back into our communities. 

About Alliance for a Better Community

Alliance for a Better Community is advancing social, economic, racial equity and justice for the Latina/o community and the Los Angeles region through power building and policy advocacy. ABC envisions a vibrant Los Angeles region where Latinas/os fully participate in, contribute to and benefit from a prosperous, multi-ethnic community in which families enjoy: full and meaningful participation in civic and economic arenas, full access to high-performing schools and increased opportunity to attend college, quality healthcare, and safe, affordable housing. For more information about Alliance for a Better Community, visit: www.afabc.org

Alliance for a Better Community