Huntington Park : East L.A. College Annex Plan Funded

Plans to open an annex of East Los Angeles College in Huntington Park have been salvaged and classes are scheduled to begin in January, city and college officials said.

“I think we have here an incredible opportunity not only for the Huntington Park community but for the entire Southeast area,” said Assemblywoman Martha M. Escutia (D-Huntington Park), one of several state officials who attended a City Council meeting recently to show support for the college satellite.

The annex proposal had hit a snag in August when three City Council members objected to allocating $300,000 in federal grant money to fund the project, saying the city should weigh other needs. Annex advocates, who feared that the delay would kill the proposal, spent two months lobbying state and local officials to elicit financial commitments before the Oct. 21 council meeting.

After hearing testimony from state officials and learning that East Los Angeles College would contribute $100,000 to the annex this year, the City Council approved the project, 4 to 0, and allocated $36,000. Councilman William P. Cunningham was absent. In addition to East Los Angeles College’s financial commitment, surrounding cities have been asked to contribute $24,000 a year toward the school.

The annex, in a 34,000-square-foot area on the second floor of the Pacific Bell building at 2675 Zoe Ave., will offer 40 classes to as many as 1,200 students in the first semester. Vocational training, English as a Second Language courses, and classes on child development and basic reading and writing will be available. The school will also offer a program that gives students who work full time the chance to earn enough credits to transfer to four-year institutions after five semesters.