New School Opens in East L.A.

Boyle Heights - Los Angeles City Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia, Councilmember Jose Huizar and special guests, including HACLA President and CEO Rudolf C. Montiel took part in a ribbon cutting cermony for the Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez Learning Center (Mendez LC) on September 23.   The campus consists of two schools - Engineering & Technology and Math & Science.

"This is an exciting time for the families of East Los Angeles as we celebrate the opening of the first new school in this community in over 80 years," said Mayor Villaraigosa.

The Housing Authority is excited to welcome a new state of the art school that will serve some of its youth residents from the Pico Gardens & Las Casitas and Pueblo del Sol housing developments.

"The new school will allow youth to get education, to get good paying jobs and not leave the community, but stay and make Boyle Heights reach its potential," said HACLA President and CEO, Rudolf C. Montiel.

Mendez LC is LAUSD's first new school project to fully implement the reform model of Small Schools. It is also one of LAUSD's premier iDesign Schools.  The iDesign Schools Division works in partnership with LAUSD's Network Partners - one of five established civic and academic institutions with knowledge and resources - to improve student achievement. It is one of 80 new schools completed as part of LAUSD's $20.1 Billion New School Construction and Modernization Program to end involuntary busing and year round calendars.