NSBN To Begin New Collaborative Planning Project In Lawndale

December 15, 2003

LAWNDALE - New Schools Better Neighborhoods and the Lawndale Elementary School District signed a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2003 to begin collaborative planning on a joint use school project.

Through the collaborative planning process, the Lawndale Elementary School District (LESD) can leverage District resources to create a neighborhood-centered school called "Carson Village." LESD is developing new classroom and First 5 School Readiness Initiative (SRI) space at an existing school. LESD also owns the land surrounding the school, which is a park and open athletic fields that the County of L.A. Parks and Recreation manages, but is poorly maintained. A portion of the property owned by the School District is a community garden. The Carson Village project will enable the school district to expand preschool programs to allow more children to participate. Such programs will better prepare these children to succeed in school.

Joint use opportunities that will be explored include: enhancing the open park space area and athletic fields to provide greater benefit for the community and schools, and providing a family resource center and/or health clinic. Through the collaborative planning process, the feasibility of other joint use opportunities will also be determined.

Others that will be involved in the Lawndale project include Richstone Family Services, Headstart, the Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles County and the UCLA Center for Healthy Children and Families.