Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools
Encyclopedia
The Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, called the RFK Community Schools, is a complex of public schools in Los Angeles
, California
. The schools cost $
578 million to build, making it the most expensive public school in the United States
. The school was designed for 4200 students, which can be filled by students within a nine-block radius.
of presidential candidate, United States Senator
, and former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
.
Los Angeles Unified School District
(known as LAUSD) wanted to build a school on the site since the 1980s, but was met with resistance: Donald Trump
wanted to build the world's tallest building on the site, and Mayor Tom Bradley
, Nate Holden
, and LA's business community were strongly opposed to using the location as a school.
The hotel was razed in 2006. The new school, designed by the architects of Gonzalez Goodale, built a modern interpretation of the original hotel.
Along Wilshire Boulevard
is a memorial pocket park
to Robert F. Kennedy. The school itself is six stories, with a replica of the Cocoanut Grove.
The Los Angeles Conservancy
fought the construction of RFK community schools for a long time. They had proposed a plan for a “small learning community” that would still preserve the Ambassador hotel. On October 25, 2007, the Los Angeles Conservancy filed a lawsuit against LAUSD. The school board was not following the guidelines for construction that the LA Conservancy had expected. After the decision was voted on by the Board of Education, Roland A. Wiley (president of the LA Conservancy) issued a statement about the situation. He stated that while the Ambassador Hotel was not saved, an agreement had been reached with LAUSD to preserve many other historical sites.
RFK’s features include fine art murals and a marble memorial depicting the complex’s namesake, a manicured public park, a state-of-the-art swimming pool and preservation of pieces of the original hotel.
Originally designed as a large comprehensive K-12 school that would have over 2,400 students, in 2008 LAUSD Local District 4 determined the facility would host wall-to-wall Pilot schools – innovative small schools that have charter-like autonomy over their budget, curriculum and assessment, governance, schedule and staffing, but are part of the public school system.
Each pilot school has a social justice mission.
The Commission’s major recommendation called for a social justice theme to permeate the curriculum, extending from kindergarten through high school that would reflect Senator Kennedy’s commitment throughout his public life.
In 2010, two lawsuits were filed, alleging molestation of two children at New Open World Academy, one of the small schools at RFK that opened in 2009.
, they're a big waste of taxpayer money... Parents aren't fooled."
An Associated Press
article called it a "Taj Mahal" school and reflected "nearly 3,000 teachers have been laid off over the past two years, the academic year and programs have been slashed. The district also faces a $640 million shortfall and some schools persistently rank among the nation's lowest performing."
Sam Lubell of The Architect's Newspaper
commented "the overall design is not really rooted in anything except maybe the city’s obsession with loosely recreating the past" and "If anything it’s a painful reminder of what was there before; an authentic piece of LA history that’s been replaced by a loose nod to it. Much of its neighborhood, which was once one of Hollywood’s most electric areas, has the same feeling."
This state-of-the-art facility consists of six different schools ranging from kindergarten to twelfth grade and will enroll 4,260 students. The construction cost per seat was $135,000. This is a 40 percent higher than the other schools that were constructed in the central Los Angeles area over the past two years. While the school is the most expensive in LAUSD and the nation, the most expensive school per seat in LAUSD is the High School for the Visual and Performing Arts
.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The schools cost $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
578 million to build, making it the most expensive public school in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The school was designed for 4200 students, which can be filled by students within a nine-block radius.
History and construction
The site was home to The Ambassador Hotel, the site of the June 1968 assassinationRobert F. Kennedy assassination
The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a United States Senator and brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, took place shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California...
of presidential candidate, United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, and former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
.
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
(known as LAUSD) wanted to build a school on the site since the 1980s, but was met with resistance: Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
wanted to build the world's tallest building on the site, and Mayor Tom Bradley
Tom Bradley (politician)
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving in that office from 1973 to 1993. He was the first and to date only African American mayor of Los Angeles...
, Nate Holden
Nate Holden
Nate Holden is a Los Angeles County politician who served four years in the California State Senate and 16 years on the Los Angeles City Council....
, and LA's business community were strongly opposed to using the location as a school.
The hotel was razed in 2006. The new school, designed by the architects of Gonzalez Goodale, built a modern interpretation of the original hotel.
Along Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for Henry Gaylord Wilshire , an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. Henry Wilshire initiated what was to become Wilshire...
is a memorial pocket park
Pocket park
A pocket park, parkette or mini-park is a small park accessible to the general public. In some areas they are called miniparks or vest-pocket parks....
to Robert F. Kennedy. The school itself is six stories, with a replica of the Cocoanut Grove.
The Los Angeles Conservancy
Los Angeles Conservancy
The Los Angeles Conservancy is an historic preservation organization in Los Angeles, California. It works to document, rescue and revitalize historic buildings, places and neighborhoods in the city. The Conservancy is the largest membership based historic preservation organization in the country...
fought the construction of RFK community schools for a long time. They had proposed a plan for a “small learning community” that would still preserve the Ambassador hotel. On October 25, 2007, the Los Angeles Conservancy filed a lawsuit against LAUSD. The school board was not following the guidelines for construction that the LA Conservancy had expected. After the decision was voted on by the Board of Education, Roland A. Wiley (president of the LA Conservancy) issued a statement about the situation. He stated that while the Ambassador Hotel was not saved, an agreement had been reached with LAUSD to preserve many other historical sites.
RFK’s features include fine art murals and a marble memorial depicting the complex’s namesake, a manicured public park, a state-of-the-art swimming pool and preservation of pieces of the original hotel.
Originally designed as a large comprehensive K-12 school that would have over 2,400 students, in 2008 LAUSD Local District 4 determined the facility would host wall-to-wall Pilot schools – innovative small schools that have charter-like autonomy over their budget, curriculum and assessment, governance, schedule and staffing, but are part of the public school system.
Each pilot school has a social justice mission.
The Commission’s major recommendation called for a social justice theme to permeate the curriculum, extending from kindergarten through high school that would reflect Senator Kennedy’s commitment throughout his public life.
In 2010, two lawsuits were filed, alleging molestation of two children at New Open World Academy, one of the small schools at RFK that opened in 2009.
Reception
The school features a marble memorial depicting Robert F. Kennedy, a manicured public park, and a state-of-the-art swimming pool. Of these amenities, Ben Austin, executive director of Parent Revolution who sits on the California Board of Education, stated, "New buildings are nice, but when they're run by the same people who've given us a 50 percent dropout rateDropping out
Dropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
, they're a big waste of taxpayer money... Parents aren't fooled."
An Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
article called it a "Taj Mahal" school and reflected "nearly 3,000 teachers have been laid off over the past two years, the academic year and programs have been slashed. The district also faces a $640 million shortfall and some schools persistently rank among the nation's lowest performing."
Sam Lubell of The Architect's Newspaper
The Architect's Newspaper
The Architect's Newspaper is an architectural newspaper covering the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast in three print editions and online....
commented "the overall design is not really rooted in anything except maybe the city’s obsession with loosely recreating the past" and "If anything it’s a painful reminder of what was there before; an authentic piece of LA history that’s been replaced by a loose nod to it. Much of its neighborhood, which was once one of Hollywood’s most electric areas, has the same feeling."
This state-of-the-art facility consists of six different schools ranging from kindergarten to twelfth grade and will enroll 4,260 students. The construction cost per seat was $135,000. This is a 40 percent higher than the other schools that were constructed in the central Los Angeles area over the past two years. While the school is the most expensive in LAUSD and the nation, the most expensive school per seat in LAUSD is the High School for the Visual and Performing Arts
High School for the Visual and Performing Arts
Ramon C. Cortines School Of Visual And Performing Arts is a $232 million high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is located on the site of the old Fort Moore at the corner of Grand Avenue and Cesar E...
.
Schools
- Ambassador School of Global Education (ASGE), Grades K-5
- Ambassador School of Global Leadership (ASGL), Grades 6-12
- Los Angeles High School of the ArtsLos Angeles High School of the ArtsLAHSA, currently housed at the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, was formerly known as the small learning community BAPA which was established in 1998...
(LAHSA), Grades 9-12 - New Open World Academy (NOW), Grades K-12
- School for the Visual Arts & Humanities (SVAH), Grades 9-12
- UCLA Community School (UCLA-CS), Grades K-12