Second in a series
Re “Is That a New Car? No, It Is New Culver Park High School”
On the eve of the new school term that began this morning, the celebrated rebirth of Culver Park High School was slightly restrained, at least administratively.
Like an ineffable cloud, the spectre of a potential clash with the American Civil Liberties Union throws at least a thimble of chilly water over Opening Day festivities for the rejuvenated continuation school.
What is the civil rights organization going to do? The answer remains unknown.
For 2½ months, the ACLU has stood, ominously, at a distance from the formerly brewing controversy encircling Culver Park’s move from Sunkist Park to the triangle that is Culver City High School, the Middle School and Farragut Elementary.
When It Started
In June, at the behest of unnamed parties, the ACLU notified the School District that it was – and remains to this moment – prepared to challenge the new setting for Culver Park High.
Still at issue is whether the substitute bungalow, which, in late July, hastily replaced the two bungalows originally targeted for Culver Park, is structurally legal and safe. For weeks, the ACLU and the previous School District administration spoke in almost inaudible sotto voce tones without determining what course will be followed. A lawsuit? Another option?
The dialogue appears to have sharply changed 35 days ago with a change in District leadership.
In his first mercurial month as Superintendent of the School District, Dave LaRose has performed as if he were the Wizard of Ahhs.
Unknowingly walking into a Culver Park mess that still has not reached its denouement, he has masterfully rescued a burgeoning disaster, reshaping it into what looks this morning like a golden victory.
Going into the holiday weekend, Mr. LaRose was gliding about Culver Park’s magically enhanced campus, the suddenly dolled-up parking lot behind Farragut Elementary, as if he were a new father distributing pictures of his handsome first-born.
A visitor approached him with the latest development from Brooks Allen of the ACLU:
“Supt. LaRose sent additional documents to us (last) week in response to my most recent letter. We are reviewing them now. At this juncture, we still have significant questions about whether the intended home for Culver Park High School has been adequately inspected and evaluated to make sure it meets the minimal health and safety standards for a K-12 facility.”
Straight Ahead
Standing in the upgraded bosom of Culver Park’s campus, Mr. LaRose’s direct, head-on, no-ducking answer was formulated well before the reading of the written words was complete.
“It is my hope and belief,” he said, “that the gap isn’t between whether this is a healthy, safe teaching and learning environment. It’s whether they have the specific documents that validate that. I know that, unlike the two of us now, Mr. Allen has not been on the site. He has not been in the buildings. He has not been part of the conversations we have had with architects, fire marshal inspectors, a DSA (Division of the State Architect) architect.
“Certainly I know that all of the time we have spent with this bungalow, which is dubbed Portable 1, and the office space we are bringing in, we have done due diligence in assuring that all of the minimum standards are met.
The Core Issue
“So the correspondence, in terms of what he is satisfied with and not satisfied with, the way that I read it was, ‘We would like more documentation that affirms that.’
“I shared that I would be happy to dedicate our time to trying to discover that. Much of it is historical documentation with lots of turnover. We will certainly pursue that.”
Aiding a legally inquiring party is fine, said Mr. LaRose patiently, always speaking evenly and with a strong sense of discipline – underpinned by one major caveat.
“I also don’t want it to distract from what I think is our priority. So with us being very confident in having confirmation that it is DSA-approved and the minimum standards having been met, then we move forward to make it a lot more than minimum standards.
“What are the things our teachers need? What are the things our kids need? What are the things our principals need?
“That is going to be an ongoing process,” said Mr. LaRose, both hands controlling every motion of the wheel of the School District. “It will start now, but also the first few days of school. We will see how people are feeling.”
A New Sound
A sigh of relief appears to have been heard ‘round the District with Mr. LaRose driving the bus.
