High schoolers earn and learn in LA experiment

From now until June, some Los Angeles students will be performing adult-type jobs in high school - and getting paid for it.

In January, the Los Angeles Board of Education approved a pilot experiment allowing four Los Angeles high schools and three junior highs to hire students for temporary clerical and custodial duties within the school system.

The program has been set up, according to school officials,to try to alleviate a shortage of full-time, regular employees and substitutes in these specific categories.

Students selected from volunteer lists are paid $3.35 an hour. They may be hired only if there are no qualified regular or substitute employees available for the jobs. And temporary regulations allow students to work only enough hours to make up for the absence of regular employees.

Superintendent of Schools Harry Handler will report to the Los Angeles Board of Education on the results of the experiment at the close of the school year.