At the Culver City Unified School Board meeting of June 14, the ‘school spotlight’ swung around to Culver Park Continuation High School. With Principal Veronica Montes, and staff members Bill Lockhart and Ruth Morris all on hand in their Culver Park logo hoodies, the presentation of Culver Park’s climbing success rate was lauded by School Board President Steve Levin as ‘Miraculous…and I do not use the word lightly.”
Board member Kathy Paspalis noted the “Most LAUSD high schools – I mean regular high schools, not even continuation schools – do not boast that kind of graduation rate. We have every reason to be very proud.”
“Of the students who do not graduate,” Montes offered “we do direct them to the Adult School so that they can finish there and get a diploma.”
A video presentation highlighted the schools many programs and offered brief interviews with some of the students, several of whom credited the staff at Culver Park with making their graduation from high school a reality.
Board member Kelly Kent asked “If you could have one thing, one request, to raise that graduation rate even higher, what would it be? ”
Montes paused, and took up a thread with a long history. “Well, we would love to have a permanent home.”
Levin agreed it was on the list of projects for the school bond to address, and that everyone was looking for ways to make it happen.
Board member Sue Robins said “It’s clear from what you have told us tonight that you have created a home for Culver Park. All you need is a building.”
Judith Martin-Straw
Photo credit Geoff Maleman – Culver Park Principal Veronica Montes in classroom
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