Downey : Parent-Teacher Panel Will Study Reopening Unsworth
Downey school officials have decided to set up a committee of parents, teachers and administrators to study how to reduce overcrowding in elementary schools.
Downey Unified School District board members are expected to name the 15-member committee Jan. 11. It will include at least eight parents, two teachers, two administrators and three other district employees, Deputy Supt. Donna Boose said.
The committee will consider whether to reopen Unsworth Elementary School, which has been closed since 1972, said Boose, who was the school’s principal at the time. The school at 9001 Lindsey Ave. is being used for adult education and preschool programs.
Other elementary schools in the area have seen enrollment grow significantly in recent years, officials said. Between 1989 and this year, the number of elementary school children grew about 18.5% to 7,888 students. There are more than 800 students attending Rio San Gabriel, more than 700 at Gallatin and more than 600 at Price elementary schools, Boose said.
If it is reopened, Unsworth would accommodate about 500 students.
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