Children’s Center Seeks Use of Shut Valley School

MacLaren Children’s Center, the county’s only emergency housing facility for abused and neglected children, has expressed interest in establishing a shelter in a West San Fernando Valley school closed by the Los Angeles school district because of low enrollment.

No deal has been struck between the Los Angeles Unified School District and the county Department of Children’s Services, the agency that governs the children’s center. Nor have MacLaren officials indicated a preference in any of eight possible school sites.

22 Sites Closed

In the past three years, 22 Los Angeles schools categorized as being underused have been closed to save money. Nineteen are in the West Valley.

El Monte-based MacLaren recently was thrust into the spotlight when criminal charges were filed against five workers on allegations of drug sales, rape and assault. In addition, accusations of crowding, child abuse and lack of proper medical attention to the children has brought the facility under the scrutiny of the county Board of Supervisors.

County officials often have said they would like to create regional juvenile facilities to relieve crowding.

MacLaren’s interest in a closed school was disclosed in material announcing two public hearings on future use for eight empty West Valley campuses. About 10,000 notices of the hearings are being distributed to residents who live near the closed schools.

The first hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. on April 16 at Northridge Junior High School. The school district’s Underutilized School Sites Committee will listen to public comment on the future use of Garden Grove Elementary School in Reseda, Parthenia Street Elementary School in Sepulveda and Prairie Street Elementary School in Northridge.

The second hearing, at 7 p.m. April 23 at Parkman Junior High in Woodland Hills, will focus on the future of Collins Street, Collier Street and Enadia Way elementary schools and Hughes Junior High, all in Woodland Hills, and of Enadia Way and Highlander Avenue elementary schools, both in Canoga Park.

Only One Recommended for Sale

Only one of the schools--Collier Street--has been recommended for sale. State law requires that a school district wishing to sell a school first offer it for park or recreational use. If it cannot find a buyer, the district must then offer the property, at fair market value, to the director of general services, the regents of the University of California, the trustees of the California State Universities, the county and the city in which the property is situated, and to any public housing authorities in the county.

If all these avenues fail, and if no other public agency or charitable organization offers to purchase the property, then the district may sell the campus to private interests.

The only Los Angeles district school to be sold is Oakdale Avenue, which was bought by The Farm, a retirement-community developer, for $2.6 million. The district has also wanted to sell Highlander Road in Canoga Park for at least $2.1 million. But the minimum bid was not made, and the school was taken off the block.

The most recent recommendation for Highlander Road is that it be leased. Leasing is the way the school district would like to dispose of Highlander, Garden Grove, Prairie, Collins, Enadia Way and Hughes.

A more unusual future is recommended for Parthenia Elementary. Because it is next to a commercial area, the school district is considering joining another governmental agency, such as the county Department of Children’s Services, or a private group, such as The Farm, in developing the property. The district and its co-developer would share in the revenues from any joint venture.

California State University, Northridge, and several private schools also have expressed interest in using the school sites. So far, seven of the 22 closed schools have been put to other district uses, and four campuses have been leased to private schools.