Education

Options for Finishing Out Year Weighed at Three L.A. Schools

By Ann Bradley — February 09, 1994 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Two schools in the San Fernando Valley that were severely damaged by last month’s earthquake will be closed at least until next month, and a third school may be permanently closed, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Unified School District said last week.

Another six schools were expected late last week to welcome back their first students since the Jan. 17 earthquake. (See Education Week, Jan. 26, 1994.)

District officials were scheduled to meet with parents whose children attended the closed schools to discuss options for finishing out the school year. The schools are Kennedy and El Camino Real high schools and Van Gogh Elementary.

The 2,859 students who attend El Camino Real High and Kennedy High’s 2,452 students probably will return to school on about March 1, said Patrick Spencer, a spokesman for the district.

After the schools reopen, portable classrooms will be set up at both sites to accommodate overflow from damaged classrooms, Mr. Spencer explained.

The high schools will allow students limited access to the campuses this week for college and financial-aid counseling.

But the ground around Van Gogh Elementary appears to have undergone a geological shift that may make it impossible to reopen the school, even with portables, Mr. Spencer said.

Van Gogh’s 469 students probably will attend other schools, the spokesman said.

In addition to delaying the start of the spring semester at the two high schools, district officials are considering lengthening the school day or school year to make up for the lost instructional time.

Attendance Back Up

Superintendent Sid Thompson said last week that attendance in the San Fernando Valley schools, which averaged only 60 percent to 65 percent immediately after the quake, had returned to about 90 percent, the districtwide average.

In the meantime, workers have begun making repairs to damaged schools, which suffered a variety of problems ranging from buckled tile and warped walkway arcades to water damage and cracked walls. Bungalows have been set up to provide space for students whose classrooms are being repaired.

The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed a $9.8 billion emergency-spending bill that would provide $1.1 billion for education-related earthquake relief, including $845 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to repair and rebuild Los Angeles schools. (See News in Brief, page 22.)

A version of this article appeared in the February 09, 1994 edition of Education Week as Options for Finishing Out Year Weighed at Three L.A. Schools

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: February 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 31, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 17, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read