Hermosa Beach community expresses complaints at Hermosa Beach City School District board meeting

By Bari Cohn

Staff Writer

The Hermosa Beach City School District received input from the Hermosa Beach community regarding the overcrowding and lack of modern technology in their schools, at the HBCSD Jan. 7 special school board meeting.

The envisioning meeting was the third of many meetings that HBCSD has hosted. HBCSD uses these meetings to receive feedback from the community regarding district wide issues, such as the outdated structures in Hermosa Valley School.

“The main topic that was discussed at the meeting was the district’s vision and how they can align it with the future of the schools,” Superintendent Ms. Patricia Escalante said. “We are planning to continue with the district’s series of Envisioning Workshops that are designed to get input from community members regarding overcrowding in the district and aging buildings.”

The Hermosa Valley School which educates students from four to eight, is seeking specific feedback at the envision meetings in order to help organize what its students and staff feel should be implemented in HB schools.

“The Hermosa Beach School Board’s efforts may be successful in accomplishing in the future,”  President of the Hermosa Beach School Board Ms. Mary Campbell said. “They will relieve the current severe overcrowding issues and provide 21st century learning environments to sustain excellence in K through eight education in Hermosa Beach for the next several decades,”

According to Escalante, community input informs the HBCSD Board of Education about future facilities plans if voters pass the bond being proposed at the June 2016 special election. The idea proposed by the board is to create a North School which will hopefully reduce overcrowding as well as to have more modern facilities for students.

“In the event that a school bond to address school facilities needs is passed by Hermosa Beach voters in June 2016 the district intends to move forward,” Campbell said. “They are planning to begin the process of engaging an architectural firm to rebuild North School and reopen that campus to Hermosa Beach students and relieve our severe overcrowding challenges.

Escalante said that the plan for the North School is to use it as a functioning school, which will require further discussion to ensure it meets today’s educational as well as structural standards. However, the citizens of Hermosa Beach must first vote before any definite plans can be made.

“I believe these plans are necessary to reduce overcrowding in the schools which will allow for students to have more access to facilities,” Escalante said. “To also create spaces and add more programs and privileges for students that create a healthy school environment and provide beauty, quiet spaces, movement and interaction with others.”