LAKE BALBOA, CA, Aug 14 (MARKET WIRE) --
LAUSD conversion-charter Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS)
opens its doors for the first time under local control on Wednesday,
August 19, 2009. The 55-year-old Los Angeles-area campus was granted
charter status in a 5-2 vote by the LAUSD School Board on July 2, 2009
after a contentious, months-long debate between stakeholders concerned
over the school's future.
The five-year renewable charter grants BCCHS the autonomy to make
mission-critical academic, professional and budgetary decisions at the
campus level while giving parents, students, faculty and community-members
an active voice in school governance. The largest campus in the school
district, BCCHS will enroll nearly 2900 students, largely comprised of
pupils from the Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Reseda and Lake Balboa
communities.
Highly optimistic about the coming school year, Principal/CEO Marsha
Coates cited the school's recent improvements in student achievement and
graduation rates. "We are definitely excited about opening this new
chapter in Birmingham's history. It's been quite a battle with deep
convictions aired on all sides, but a fight well worth it considering the
challenges we face educating children in today's climate."
After filing the original charter petition in December 2008, Birmingham
played host to a series of meetings, protests, high-profile missteps and
political wrangling, all culminating in the school's July 2nd hearing
before the LAUSD School Board.
Now serving under Birmingham's board of governors, Coates concedes the
real work has just begun. "We've had more than our share of attention
recently, but now we've come together, harnessed our skills and energy
and are ready to build a safe, positive environment for students, faculty
and the community at large. Birmingham will be a place where young
people, their families and friends will come to learn, communicate, grow
and support our mission."
As one of LAUSD's most high-profile examples of the charter movement in
action, the goal is for Birmingham to serve as both a hub of academic and
social activity as well as a model for the future of California public
schools.
BCCHS is located at 17000 Haynes Street in Lake Balboa, CA. Grand Opening
ceremonies are scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on August 19th in Birmingham
Stadium. A VIP reception will be held immediately afterward at 10:00 a.m.
for special guests. Guests and participants can enter the school from the
Victory Boulevard gates, just west of Balboa Boulevard. Ample parking is
available.
Interested parties are encouraged to visit the school's web site at
http://birminghamhs.org. For the VIP reception, please contact Colleen
Milar at (818) 758-6546 or crm4019@lausd.net.
Birmingham Community Charter High School
17000 Haynes Street
Lake Balboa, CA 91406
Phone: (818) 758-5200
Fax: (818) 342-5877
http://birminghamhs.org
Contact:
Colleen Milar
(818) 758-6546
Email Contact
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