In 2001, then-Mayor James Hahn declared Los Angeles a "Mexican city", as if that were a good thing.

It hasn't worked out that way, to say the least, and the miserable state of school performance is a top indicator.

The continuing failure of youngsters to even complete high school is the totally expected result when the government allows millions of unscholarly Mexicans to fill up a city.

More than one-third of Los Angeles Unified high school students drop out, according to a new study released Wednesday that is expected to end a long controversy over the accuracy of state dropout rates.

The district's four-year dropout rate of 33.6 percent was well above the statewide average of 24.2 percent, sparking renewed calls to beef up academic standards in the nation's second-largest school district.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said the new numbers indicate the state's schools are facing a crisis.

"The dropout rate of 24 percent is too high. It's unacceptable and must be addressed," he said.

Did the State Superintendent just awake from two decades of unconsciousness? The only change here is that there are newly calculated statistics — claimed to be more accurate — showing California's schools are an unmitigated disaster because of immigration, with emphasis on Mexicans. Pretending surprise at the degree of failure doesn't fool anyone.