New School in the Neighborhood

Yes, we have a new school in West Adams/Western Heights. Being new in this neighborhood myself (12 years), this project has been ongoing and started long before I was a "neighbor." From its inception, the plan was fought by many communities, embraced by many communities and mired in design complaints that almost rivaled the environmental complaints. Regardless, we have it now and we should be proud.

Being a board member of the United Neighborhoods Neighborhood Council, many board members were invited to a tour of the school with Principal Kurt Lowry. Several accepted the invitation and were pleasantly surprised by what we heard and saw.

First things first...the design. Yes, many wanted to see a building that represented the historical nature of the neighborhood. I personally think that we ended up with something better. While not historic in design, it is a clean-lined, striking modern structure. But not overly so. It is a distinct enough building that it will stand out in our neighborhood and help strike the balance we are seeking for commercial development on Washington Boulevard.

Second...the environmental impact. Many people were concerned about the school's location being placed on an old oil field and sandwiched next to a Chevron gas station that may be leaking into the surrounding area due to old fuel tanks. ABC 7 did a story on this and I feel that many of the issues were aggressively taken head-on, unlike other schools in Los Angeles. I must say that my fears have been allayed. Why? I think it has turned out to be a very good job. I also must say that before the school came in, many children, families and homes were already in an environmental muck before this project came along. Now that it has, the school and the surrounding areas are in a much better place.

Third...the impact of the school on the community. While at first there may be traffic and safety issues, these will be worked out through the help of neighborhood volunteers manning cross walks, the 10th Council District hearing issues that may be corrected, and combining the strengths of our neighborhoods to provide safe homes and watches.

Kurt Lowry, Principal

Fourth...until you have met him, you won't know how marvelous Kurt Lowry is as a principal. During the tour, he made it very clear that he was in-touch and very appreciative of his hard working teachers and staff. Kurt Lowry also has many new and forward-reaching ideas to advance the LAUSD system by reducing class sizes to placing science and ecology first--not only on the campus--but in lessons to the students as well.

Is this what we needed? I can't answer that. All we can do is keep our eyes on things but also let a newly seeded plant have a chance to bloom.

In the meantime, I'll see you around the neighborhood.