Chronology of School Site Struggle
A history of major actions taken by the Lynwood Unified School District to build its new high school:
October, 1983--State Allocation Board grants $34 million to the district for a new high school.
November, 1983--District is awarded $325,982 from the state for a feasibility study for a new high school.
April, 1984--Board of Education votes unanimously to build the new school on the site that includes Ham Park, triggering more than a year of fighting between the school board and the City Council, which opposes the site.
July, 1984--Architectural rendering of proposed high school on the Ham Park site is presented to the school board.
August, 1985--Supt. Charlie Mae Knight, who advocated the Ham Park site, resigns.
March, 1986--School district decides to drop efforts to acquire Ham Park and votes to start process to acquire Sterik Co. property, which includes a closed Zody’s department store, and Seventh-day Adventist property.
August, 1986--Board votes 4 to 1 to condemn 12 acres of Sterik Co. property. Board member Joe Battle dissents.
December, 1986--Board votes 5 to 0 to condemn 20 acres of the Lynwood Adventist Academy property.
June, 1987--Adventist group starts community protest to save academy. Board member Thelma Williams withdraws her vote to condemn academy property.
August, 1987--City Council declares Adventist Academy a local historical landmark as part of effort to stymie development.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
