CommentsDOWNTOWN AND SKID ROW- In September 2013, Metro Charter Elementary School first opened its doors as a result of the desperate efforts from a group of frustrated parents in Downtown Los Angeles who saw that this needed resource had apparently been overlooked by City planners and the leaders of Downtown’s now-booming revitalization.
With so much focus on constructing luxury lofts, high-rise office towers and adaptive reuse projects, single parents and families with small children have found themselves suffering from a lack of quality schools for grades kindergarten through fourth grade. Enter Metro Charter as a solution.
Amazingly, these parents raised the necessary $250,000, found 16 dedicated teachers (as a start) and even found a qualified and passionate principal in order to open Metro Charter Elementary School. They have increased the number of students each year and now have an extremely long waiting list to get in. This feat is nothing short of a Downtown success story.
These parents knew, however, that their initial location was temporary and now, the time has come to move. They are looking for a 30-year lease -- seemingly appealing for any property owner desiring a successful long-term tenant -- but have instead met with lots of resistance.
Metro Charter is experiencing a “step-child locked in the closet” moment because developers and property owners are more focused on projects than n schools. Parents worry they might have to move away from Downtown if something doesn’t change and quickly – as in, within the next school year. The thought of this frustrates people who bought into the excitement and hype connected to Downtown’s massive resurgence. Business growth and high-density residential interests are seeing unlimited potential for widespread expansion; plans abound for many other development options such as hotels, sports stadiums and more.
As other doors close in its proverbial face, could Metro Charter possibly end up with a permanent home in Skid Row?
Skid Row is stereotypically known as not being a safe place for children, but it must be noted that several successful schools have existed for decades well within its borders.
For instance, School on Wheels, which used to be on 5th and San Pedro, now provides afterschool studying for homeless children on 7th and San Pedro. They moved to be closer to LAUSD’s newly-remodeled 9th Street Elementary school which is only a short distance away.
Also, Para Los Ninos (For the Children) has a Skid Row location on 6th and Gladys Avenue, cattycorner to the popular Gladys Park, deep in the heart of Skid Row. PLN even provides a mental health division to assist children and their families who may struggle to process their families’ struggles to overcome poverty – something that can have a direct effect on the child’s ability to learn.
Then there’s Las Familias de Pueblo on 7th and Maple, which is directed by Alice Callaghan, who co-founded Skid Row Housing Trust decades ago. This school provides necessary schooling for children of the many Spanish-speaking, working-class families whose parents work in the Downtown area.
Finally, Inner City Arts, on 7th and Kohler (also in Skid Row), provides arts education for elementary, middle and high school children and was visited a few years ago by Prince William and Duchess Kate (photo above) from England’s Royal family.
So many children have walked to school in Skid Row over the years and one would have to think long and hard about the last time a child was harmed there. It can be argued that Skid Row is much safer for children than many other parts of Los Angeles.
It’s feasible that Metro Charter could join the long list of successful, quality schools in Skid Row. I’m confident that the Skid Row Neighborhood Council would support this notion. Recently, School on Wheels celebrated not one but two students who were accepted at UCLA. Metro Charter Elementary School could contribute to the successful learning of children in Skid Row.
If the rest of Downtown doesn’t want them, we’ll take ‘em!
(General Jeff is a homelessness activist and leader in Downtown Los Angeles.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
Downtown LA’s Metro Charter School Needs a New Home … How about Skid Row?
