Re “Half-Day Culver Park Forced to Submit to a Full-Day Kindergarten”
(See pdf below)
Could the muscle-heavy transfer of Culver Parking Lot High School from the campus it shares with El Marino Language School to its namesake, a parking lot, melt into an embarrassing boondoggle this summer?
Now that the perhaps dreaded American Civil Liberties Union is bringing its considerable heft to the dispute, will the incoming Superintendent and the School Board switch gears and ardently pursue an alternative landing spot – say, from where grass can be seen or at least sniffed if not walked upon – for Culver Parking Lot High School?
At issue this afternoon is a letter the ACLU last Thursday faxed to Supt. Patti Jaffe, whose retirement begins later this week, and secondarily to the School Board, whose members are buzzing about it.
Signed by attorney Brooks Allen, the ACLU’s Director of Education Advocacy, the letter appears to challenge the judgment of the Board and the Superintendent in seeking to unpopularly move the continuation high school from a green, unflawed traditional campus to a parking lot that trades off grass for asphalt. The reason: To clear space for El Marino to grow its half-day kindergarten to full-day, starting in September.
Culver Parking Lot High School teachers are sternly opposed, and they say the students are, too.
In Mr. Allen’s letter, he underscored the safety and health of the current 67 students of Culver Parking Lot High School:
“According to first-hand accounts and photos concerned individuals have shared with me, the portable classrooms that are intended to house Culver Park High School students do not appear to be in ‘good repair.’ I am told that both portables nearly 40 years old, lack restroom facilities, and are located in the middle of a parking lot that will become a construction zone for a large solar project in the near future. Furthermore, I have heard allegations of dangerous conditions, including evidence of structural damage, water intrusion, vermin infestations, possible hazardous materials, and inadequate and malfunctioning HVAC systems.
“I am certain you take all concerns about potential threats to student health and safety very seriously, and therefore request information regarding the steps Culver City Unified has taken to ensure all Culver Park High School students will attend a school next year that meets all applicable health and safety standards.”
In the five-paragraph letter, reproduced below in its entirety, Mr. Allen requested a response in 10 business days, today being the second or third.
In official Culver City, no one is talking. Three District officials were contacted by the newspaper and answered in three shadings.
To the question, “Do you believe the ACLU has a realistic chance of blocking or delaying the Culver Park move?” these were the responses:
“I have no idea,” one said.
“I don’t know what you’re referring to,” said a second.
“I am not going to comment,” said the final person in line.
[img]1448|exact|Culver Park HS June 21 2012.PDF||no_popup[/img]
