We’re publishing a series of op-ed articles from students in The Writing Program at USC. Every student in the class taught by Stephanie Bower and Dr. John Murray was required to make a short documentary about education by profiling a local school and/or program. Following the film project, the students wrote op-ed articles in response to their experiences and tackled some of the issues they discovered while making the shorts. We will be posting a new op-ed daily for the next two weeks.

by Carina Dueñas

On the same street where you find the Foxy Hotel, Century Liquor store, West-Vern Liquor, Mr. Sprits Liquor store, and numerous abandoned establishments is a building filled with students who arrive promptly at 8:00 am. Western Academy is not only unusual because of its structure–-a tall windowless building–but also because it provides many with a second chance in a city of dwindling opportunities.

Western Academy opened its doors on September 13, 2000 to serve the South Los Angeles community.  Students are sent to Western as a last opportunity to earn the necessary credits for a high school diploma. Many of the students are on parole and many of them have been kicked out of their local school districts.  However, at Western they are force to face the severity of their situation and are thus enabled to complete the necessary coursework.

The Los Angeles County Alternative Education Program has recently stated that it can no longer fiscally maintain the institution and has no choice but to shut its doors in June. Local area high schools, such as Crenshaw High School, have clearly stated that they will not accept students from Western Academy.  The community is now wondering what will happen with the students. The reality is if Western Academy closes the students will be left with no sensible option.  For many of the students, the closure will force them to face imprisonment, failure and in some cases death.

For the students who have been detained and are currently on parole they must meet condition number nine of their probation agreement.  Condition number nine requires that a student be enrolled in a school 48 hours before their release.  Additionally, suspension or expulsion from school is in violation of their probation and could possibly result in reincarceration.  Meaning, if Western Academy closes, it will force many students to remain in or return to prison-adding to the staggering statistics of African-Americans who make up 12.4 percent of the population, but represent more than half of prison inmates.

The Alternative Education Program is likely to direct parents to similar institutions at the opposite ends of town, but many parents will refuse to send their students there.  Due to previous or current gang affiliation some students are almost guaranteed to face harm at these locations.  Many will outright refuse to attend these schools for the safety of their lives.

Ashley, a Western academy student currently earning the necessary credits to return to high school to prepare for college and become a pediatrician will be forced to become yet another statistic.  Ashley expresses her fear of the closure, and has even stated that she will undoubtedly go to jail because she will be left with no option.

The reality of the matter is if Western Academy closes the students’ options are limited to either prison or death.  Western Academy serves as a catalyst of change in a community of limited options and staggering statistics. Western Academy is not just another building to board up and lease, its closure represents a loss of second chances in an already disadvantaged community.

So what if these students will be stripped of their education?  The students did not value their education in the first place, right Los Angeles?

So what if these students will be thrown behind bars, they were headed that way anyway, right Los Angeles?

Wrong.

It can no longer become acceptable to deplete opportunities for the already disadvantaged.  South Los Angeles can no longer be a detrimental barrier for its residents and we can no longer look the other way.

All it takes is a single signature from the Los Angeles Unified School District to allocate the necessary funds to keep Western Academy open.  A single signature cannot only provide a real education to countless of children, but quite possibly save lives.