L.A. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho's Home Is Raided By Feds, Put On Paid Leave And Steps Down

LOS ANGELES — Alberto Carvalho has resigned as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, ending a tenure that unraveled after agents searched his home and district headquarters in February. The resignation took effect Sunday, four months after the school board placed him on paid leave while authorities examined matters tied to LAUSD.

With more than 500,000 students attending the nation's second-largest public school system, the leadership change ranks among the most consequential education shakeups in the country. Andrés Chait, who has been serving in an acting capacity, will remain at the helm while board members determine a permanent successor.

LAUSD headquarters and Carvalho's home were searched on Feb. 25. As reported by the Associated Press, officials have not disclosed the exact focus behind the searches, and no criminal charges have been filed against the former head of LAUSD.

School board members accepted the resignation and said classrooms, staffing, and academic priorities would continue uninterrupted during the transition. Carvalho wrote that students should remain the system's central focus and said he did not want his circumstances to divert energy away from learning.

AllHere received a $3 million district contract before collapsing into bankruptcy. Joanna Smith-Griffin, the company's founder, was later indicted on fraud-related allegations, although Carvalho has maintained he was not personally involved in selecting the vendor.

Carvalho arrived in Los Angeles in 2022 after leading Miami-Dade County Public Schools and quickly became one of the most recognizable figures in public education. His administration promoted literacy initiatives, campus improvements, and a voter-approved $9 billion school bond before the searches overshadowed that portfolio of projects.

The former superintendent leaves without having been accused of a crime, yet the unanswered questions tied to the searches remain unresolved. Future disclosures from authorities will determine whether the episode closes as a leadership upheaval or develops into something far more significant for Los Angeles students.