School Official Seeks Site Selection Input

Vowing to mend “a broken process,” Los Angeles school board member Caprice Young will hold a meeting Thursday night for east San Fernando Valley residents concerned about school overcrowding and the way sites are selected for new campuses.

“What we have right now is a broken process” that has sometimes failed to involve the community in site selection, said Young, whose district includes parts of the East Valley, one of the most crowded areas in the Los Angeles Unified School District. “We want the community to get involved.”

Young estimated that the North Hollywood area needs at least two high schools, one middle school and three elementary schools to relieve overcrowding.

Districtwide, officials hope to build 100 schools by 2008, when enrollment is expected to surge to 776,150 from the current 700,000.

The district risks losing state school-bond funding for about half of those if officials fail to identify sites, purchase land and devise architectural plans before the June 30 deadline.

Compounding the problem in the East Valley is the lack of vacant property and uncontaminated land. “We need to hear from the community,” Young said, “because we must act quickly.”

One likely topic of discussion will be a proposal by school officials to study the environmental, community and economic impact of acquiring a portion of the 55-acre retail district known as Twin Plaza. Developers and business leaders have already voiced opposition.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at Walter Reed Middle School, 4525 Irvine Ave.

Buses to the meeting will depart from Francis Polytechnic and Grant high schools at 6:30 p.m. Child care will be provided during the meeting.