Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Votes Against Co-location at Micheltorena School

The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council voted Wednesday night at its regularly scheduled meeting to formally support those educators and families opposing the application for a new charter school based in 9 classrooms at Micheltorena Elementary School.

It was submited by Hollywood-based Citizens of the World charter school under Proposition 39, which makes under-utilized classroom space available for charters.

The vote came before a packed house in the auditorium of Micheltorena Elementary School, the usual site of the council's monthly meetings.

Representatives from LAUSD's Community Outreach office and LAUSD District 5 trustee Bennett Kayser were also on hand.

Board member Renee Nahum had proposed tabling the final vote on the motion in order to hold a Town Hall meeting on the subject.

But many in the audience objected before the council voted her idea down.

A number of parents affiliated with the proposed Citizens of the World charter school at Micheltorena were in the audience.

Several we talked to hinted that it might now be best to pursue another site for the school.

Opponents CWC's global focus makes it compete for the same students Micheltorena's new "dual language" program coming in the fall would attract.

Tamir Talaban, a Silver Lake parent, echoed other CWC parents' desires to establish a charer  in the community.

He wondered if a site like the Bellevue Elementary School on Micheltorena might be available to keep the school in the neighborhood.

Technically, CWC has been extended an offer to come to the school site by LAUSD, and negotiations will continue over the next few months.

The neighborhood council vote is only advisory.

LAUSD superintendent John Deasy will make the final decision.

The full text of the motion adopted by the SLNC Wednesday reads as follows:

The SLNC moves to support the efforts of the Micheltorena Elementary School administrators, teacheres, parents and children to stop the co-location of the CWC charter onto the Micheltorena campus. SLNC support of Micheltorena Community efforts to stop co-location does not reflect an opinion on charter schools in general , but applies to this case in particular.