Embattled schools chief Alberto Carvalho — who is at the center of an FBI investigation for fraud — will keep pocketing $8,500 a week on administrative leave after a unanimous LAUSD board vote.
The board placed Carvalho on paid administrative leave pending the federal investigation.
Carvalho will continue to rake in his whopping $440,000 yearly salary, breaking down to about $8,500 a week.
Andres Chait, the Local District Northeast Superintendent, was named as a temporary fill-in for the powerful and high-profile role in charge of the district’s $18.8 billion budget and nearly 400,000 students.
The board could bring in an interim superintendent later.
The decision is a stunning turn of events for an award-winning educator regarded by many in education as the top superintendent in the country. LA’s school board just last year voted unanimously to extend Carvalho’s contract.
Before assuming his $440,000-a-year job leading of the nation’s second-largest district in 2022, Carvalho, 61, previously ran Miami’s schools for 14 years.
The board placed Carvalho on paid administrative leave pending the investigation — meaning he will continue to pocket approximately $8,500 a week. MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho attends a previous public event; he has not been seen publicly since the federal raids. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The board could bring in an interim superintendent later. Jonathan Alcorn for CA PostWith LA Unified’s test scores and grad rates on the rise, only a criminal investigation could kill the high-flying educator’s career.
Federal agents on Wednesday executed search warrants at Carvalho’s San Pedro residence, LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles and a the Miami home of Debra Kerr, a former consultant with the tech firm AllHere who is tied to the investigation.
FBI agents with rifles were spotted taking boxes and other items from Carvalho’s home.
The decision is a stunning turn of events for an award-winning educator regarded by many in education as the top superintendent in the country.ƒ Jonathan Alcorn For CA Post
Evidence boxes are carried from Carvalho’s residence after agents executed a search warrant early Wednesday morning. FOX 11
Carvalho’s home.
Neither Carvalho nor Kerr have been charged with a crime. Both did not respond to calls for comment.
Authorities have not publicly detailed the allegations and court documents supporting the searches remain sealed. LAUSD reps said the district is cooperating with law enforcement.
The investigation is believed to involve LAUSD’s dealings with AllHere, an artificial-intelligence company that developed a chatbot for the district.
The company’s young founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was charged with fraud in 2024, just months after she joined Carvalho for a series of public events to kick off a $6 million AI chatbot deal with the district.
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Under Carvalho’s leadership, LAUSD paid Smith-Griffin’s company nearly $3 million for services that it never performed.
Federal prosecutors allege Smith-Griffin bilked investors of $10 million that she used to pay for her wedding and home in North Carolina.
Smith-Griffin faces more than 20 years in prison if she’s convicted of the felonies she’s charged with.
She and her attorneys did not respond to calls for comment.
Parent Diana Guillen addresses the Los Angeles Unified School District board. AP
LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles as the district faces mounting uncertainty following federal searches of its top leader’s office. Jamie Paige/California PostThe FBI and Department of Justice have not confirmed whether the AllHere contract is central to federal probe of Carvalho, or even whether Carvalho himself is a target.
The FBI swarmed Carvalho’s Palos Verdes home before dawn Wednesday, according to a neighbor who watched the operation unfold.
Officers used a bullhorn to order occupants to remain inside as agents carried items from the residence.
Carvalho has not been seen publicly since the raid.
LAUSD’s school board, which is made up of seven elected members, had deliberated for two days over what to do with Carvalho’s leadership of the district.
Inside the board chamber Thursday, tension was palpable as parents packed the room ahead of the closed session.
During the public comment period, speakers unleashed frustration over what they described as years of secrecy, inequity and lack of accountability.
Inside the board chamber Thursday, tension was palpable as parents packed the room ahead of the closed session. Jonathan Alcorn For CA Post
During the public comment period, speakers unleashed frustration over what they described as years of secrecy, inequity and lack of accountability. Jonathan Alcorn For CA Post
Angry parents speak during public comment at the Los Angeles school board meeting, demanding accountability and calling for Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to step down. Youtube/LAUSD Board Meetings“If this investigation escalates, resign out of dignity — every single one of you,” one parent told board members, urging sweeping leadership changes.
Others said the raid validated long-standing concerns about transparency in a district that controls tens of billions of public dollars.
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has not been seen publicly since before federal agents raided his home and offices. AP“Now everyone got scared because the FBI came,” another parent said, accusing officials of ignoring families until federal authorities intervened.
Some speakers warned that instability at the top could harm students directly, particularly those who rely on specialized services such as special education, where consistent leadership and staffing are critical.
