Bloomberg donates $350,000 to LA school reform campaign

LOS ANGELES, April 25 (UPI) -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave $350,000 to a Los Angeles school board campaign backed by the Coalition for School Reform, records indicate.

Tuesday's donation marked Bloomberg's second contribution to the political action committee led by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday. He previously gave $1 million to three board races ahead of the March primary.

Bloomberg also gave an undisclosed amount to advocacy arm for the California Charter Schools Association, which spent nearly $400,000 to support candidates in the election.

The coalition's aim is to back school board candidates who support LA schools Superintendent John Deasy and his policies, the newspaper said.

Bloomberg's latest donation will fund the runoff election campaign of Antonio Sanchez, 31, a former Villaraigosa aide.

Sanchez is running against teacher and former attorney Monica Ratliff, 42, to represent the east San Fernando Valley on the Board of Education. The election is scheduled for May 21.

Sanchez outspent Ratliff by a ratio of about 84 to 1 in the primary, the Times reported.