School Could Lose Magnet Program, Officials Warn

North Hollywood High School could be in danger of losing its nationally acclaimed magnet program for highly gifted students if the campus converts to a year-round calendar next year to accommodate surging enrollment, officials said Wednesday.

Although top officials vowed to keep one of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s star programs at North Hollywood High, they acknowledged that it would be at the expense of neighborhood families, some of whom moved within the school’s boundaries because of its overall strong reputation.

“Next year, we’re going to have to face some tough choices,” said school board member Caprice Young, such as whether to relocate the magnet program or send neighborhood children to other schools. “Certainly if enough kids are crammed into the school, the issue will be raised.”

Young, who moved within the school’s boundaries so her two children could eventually attend North Hollywood High, said she would fight to retain the magnet program at the campus.

Board policy requires any high school busing out more than 250 students to adopt a year-round schedule. North Hollywood High already buses at least 300 students to nearby San Fernando Valley schools.