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THE SILVER LINING: TRUE PRESERVATION FOR LOS ANGELES' HISTORIC SCHOOLS Determined to find a positive outcome of the unsuccessful fight to save the Ambassador Hotel, the seven plaintiffs in the original 2004 litigation against LAUSD (the Los Angeles Conservancy, Art Deco Society of Southern California, California Preservation Foundation, HPOZ Alliance, Korean Culture Center, Latino Urban Forum, and Mexican American Political Association) asked that instead of receiving any settlement funds, a permanent endowment be created to enable the true preservation of historic schools within the district. The resulting Historic Schools Investment Fund is a fund within the California Community Foundation that will provide grants to historic LAUSD schools for repair, restoration, and conservation of important historic features. The fund was established with $4.9 million in settlement funds from the original 2004 lawsuit. LAUSD will provide an additional $4 million to the fund as settlement of the second lawsuit, filed by the Conservancy in October 2007. The fund is administered by a six-member board composed of one representative each from LAUSD, the Conservancy, one of the other coplaintiffs in the 2004 litigation (which rotates periodically), the Central American Resource Center, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission, and a preservation architect appointed by the other five representatives. A historic resources survey of LAUSD campuses identified 125 schools as eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; they can all apply for grants. Historic schools within LAUSD have serious maintenance and preservation needs, from conserving historically significant murals and repairing historic light fixtures to ensuring the historic integrity of key campus buildings. By funding these and other critical projects, the Historic Schools Investment Fund will help enhance students’ learning experience through practical physical improvements as well as the provision of irreplaceable, inspirational learning environments. We anticipate that four or five projects per year will receive funding, with grants ranging from around $15,000 to $150,000. Selection criteria include the extent of involvement in the project by parents, students, and the surrounding neighborhood; the focus on a significant aspect of a school’s design or history; the amount of historic research demonstrating the significance of the historic elements of a project; the availability of matching funds to maximize the grant’s impact; and the project’s ability to raise awareness of the significance of our historic and cultural heritage and educate students about the value of historic preservation.
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