Public Charter Schools and Community Organizations Vie for Closed District School Sites in Los Angeles

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With adequate space for public charter schools difficult to find, Los Angeles Unified officials are considering opening as many as five long-closed school sites to house hundreds of public charter school students. Caprice Young of the California Charter Schools Association said public charter schools always have been interested in available school facilities, but until a recent lawsuit forced the district to find space for public charter use, school leaders did not think they would get district support. Some community members, however, want the space for other purposes. Members of the West Hills Neighborhood Council said they want an activity center for senior citizens at Highlander Road Elementary. "It's not that we'd be upset about a school, but a lot of people have worked for a senior center," said Dan Brin of the West Hills Neighborhood Council. And the Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization is opposed to public charter schools as neighbors, citing parking, student drivers, pickup and drop-off as "immediate concerns." Young of the California Charter Schools Association argues that the schools were created for a specific purpose. "These are schools. Taxpayers built them as schools," she said. "That said, there could be creative opportunities for schools and a senior center."

Source: Los Angeles Daily News
Date: 07/13/2008