L.A. Unified OKs $1 lease to save aviation mechanics school

The closure of a popular aviation mechanics school at Van Nuys Airport was averted Tuesday when Los Angeles education officials agreed to lease the campus from the city’s airport agency at the dramatically reduced rate of $1 a year.

The North Valley Occupational Center-Aviation Center will remain open under an agreement with Los Angeles World Airports, the operator of Van Nuys, one of the largest general aviation facilities in the nation.

The school, which has trained thousands of aircraft mechanics since 1971, was threatened recently with closure or relocation to a smaller facility because the Los Angeles Unified School District could no longer afford the monthly rent of $14,279.

In addition to the $1-a-year lease, the school board agreed to pay Los Angeles World Airports $69,278 in back rent for the three-acre site that includes a hangar with adjoining classrooms and workshops.

“With its economic accessibility and strong record of job placement, this program is an investment in our local workforce and our economy,” said board member Nury Martinez, whose district includes the vocational center.

About 100 adults and high school students participate in the two-year program per semester. The instruction prepares graduates for certificaton by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Educators, national aviation organizations and business owners at the airport say the loss of the program would have been a blow to those seeking technical careers in the aviation industry, which has suffered a shortage of qualified entry-level mechanics.

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