Los Angeles school district settles lawsuit, pledges high-dose tutoring to fix pandemic learning loss

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has agreed to a sweeping settlement in a class-action lawsuit over its COVID-19 distance learning program, committing to a multi-year academic recovery plan that includes millions of hours of tutoring and expanded support for students who fell behind.

Legal background

The lawsuit was first filed in 2020 by parents and advocacy groups who argued that LAUSD’s remote learning during the pandemic failed to meet state educational standards. They pointed to shortened class times, inconsistent instruction, and widespread connectivity issues as factors that left many students disengaged. The plaintiffs said these shortcomings disproportionately harmed Black, Latino, and low-income children, deepening existing inequities.The case was dismissed in 2021 after schools reopened but was reinstated by the California Court of Appeal in 2023. After nearly five years of litigation, the district has now agreed to terms designed to provide significant remediation for affected students.

Settlement commitments

Under the agreement, more than 100,000 students identified as most in need will receive at least 45 hours of high-dose tutoring annually over the next three academic years.

Tutoring will be delivered in small groups or individually, aligned with classroom instruction, and conducted multiple times each week.Beyond this, as many as 250,000 students who were enrolled during the pandemic will have access to summer school, after-school tutoring, and targeted literacy and numeracy support through 2028. In total, the district is expected to provide over 10 million hours of tutoring.The settlement also requires systematic assessment, with students receiving three math and English evaluations each year to track progress and identify those who require additional help.

Teacher training will be expanded to include evidence-based practices in core subjects and student support frameworks. The district must also strengthen outreach to families, particularly to re-engage chronically absent students.

Oversight and accountability

To ensure transparency, LAUSD will publicly report data on tutoring participation, student performance, absenteeism, and the effectiveness of recovery programs. Annual evaluations will be conducted to monitor whether tutoring initiatives are improving learning outcomes.

Broader implications

Education policy experts see this settlement as one of the most significant equity-driven recovery efforts since the pandemic. With LAUSD serving over half a million students, the majority from disadvantaged backgrounds, the program could help close learning gaps that widened during the period of remote instruction.The settlement still requires court approval, with a hearing scheduled for December 2025. Once finalised, tutoring and other academic supports are expected to begin rolling out in the 2025–26 school year.