School officials could consider joint-use library at Edison site
As district officials prepare to spend money on school construction projects this week, a neighborhood group representing a high concentration of low-income students is asking for a publicly-accessible library on one of the local campuses.
The Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA) sent a letter to school and city officials recently asking they explore a shared-use opportunity at the Edison Language Academy, constructing a library that would be open to the public after school hours.
The aging dual language school, which is located in the Pico Neighborhood, is slated to receive an entirely new school, one of a handful of campuses that will see some level of construction in the first phase of Measure BB expenditures. Santa Monica and Malibu voters passed the $268 million bond measure in 2006.
The neighborhood is home to the largest concentration of youth, low-income families and single-parent households in the city. It is also one of the few neighborhoods without its own public library.
The Santa Monica Public Library operates three branches in eight square miles in addition to its central hub in Downtown Santa Monica, including ones in Ocean Park, Sunset Park and the north of Montana/Wilshire-Montana neighborhoods.
“We feel that by having the library, it will not only promote the academic success of our students, but getting the whole family to be a part of that experience is also important for us,” Maria Loya, the co-chair of the PNA, said.
Construction at the K-5 school, which has about 470 students, is estimated to cost $29 million, paying for demolition, 30 classrooms and a new playing field and playground.
The Measure BB projects have completed the conceptual design phase. The Board of Education is scheduled to appropriate funding for the projects at its meeting on Thursday, moving them on to the next design stage. The projects include Santa Monica and Malibu high schools, John Adams and Lincoln middle schools.
Now would be an ideal time to discuss a shared-use library, according to Ralph Mechur, a school board member who serves as a liaison to the Measure BB District Advisory Committee.
The school is currently located along Kansas Avenue and the new school would be built along Virginia Avenue, allowing classes to remain in operation during construction. The new library would fall along the Virginia Avenue side, making it accessible to the public.
“Certainly accommodation could be made to provide additional space for a neighborhood-serving library,” Mechur said.
The site poses two issues when it comes to a joint-use library — cost and size, according to Chris Jimenez y West, one of the PTA presidents for the Edison Language Academy.
Jimenez y West said that the school is below the state standard in terms of the physical footprint and adding an additional dimension to the library would be a challenge, though not insurmountable.
“But again the question comes down to the resources, who is going to provide the resources and staffing,” he said.
The PNA would be seeking a library that would be open to the public outside of school hours, understanding that the collection at Edison would not be on the same level as at the other branches.
Many Pico residents currently used the Fairview Branch Library in the Sunset Park neighborhood.
“If there is going to be a large development in the community, we want to make sure that it’s … mutually beneficial, that there is a community benefit because it is a neighborhood school,” Loya said. “This is a neighborhood asset in many ways.”
Greg Mullen, the head librarian for the Santa Monica Public Library, said he has been involved in talks with the Edison Language Academy about the features for the new library, adding that joint-use opportunities might be possible. The challenge would be to find the money to expand the services at the facility.
He added that the Fairview Branch Library does offer a Latino Outreach Service and additional programs for students, including a Youth Tech Center and tutoring for math and science.
City and school officials have agreed on shared-use opportunities for after-school activities at the school library, but Mullen said he does not necessarily see it aligning with the needs for which the PNA is asking.
“We need to really work with the Pico Neighborhood and other stakeholders and determine what the needs are and respond to them,” Mullen said.
Jump hedline: School officials could consider joint-use library at Edison
Suggested pullquote: “We feel that by having the library, it will not only promote the academic success of our students, but also getting the whole family to be a part of that experience is also important for us.”
Maria Loya
Co-chair, Pico Neighborhood Association
Lucida Grande 40, 4 0 400 0¬ 1 0 40, Minion 40, 4 0 231A 0¬ 1 0
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 25, 2008. Read the original PDF.