Lynwood – In an effort to support student and staff safety, Lynwood Unified is planning to physically move instruction off Lynwood High School’s campus in 2021-22 as the District works to resolve structural issues discovered after exterior ceiling panels collapsed on campus in June 2020. The Board of Education discussed plans moving forward based on a staff facilities update and recommendation during a Jan. 24 special Board of Education meeting.

Students have been learning virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. Following the breach in June, the District hired an engineering team to review the reliability of the school’s G Building, built in July 2000, and to determine the extent of repairs. Out of an abundance of caution, the District is also assessing all other LHS campus structures to ensure they are structurally sound and to identify other repair needs. While the review is underway, the District is making plans to shift instruction now since staff is currently developing the class schedule and programs for the 2021-22 school year.

The shift at Lynwood High School will affect other District campuses, with Lynwood High School students utilizing the Lynwood Middle School campus for classroom instruction, and seventh- and eighth-grade instruction consolidated into Hosler and Chavez middle school campuses. While more details are forthcoming, the current plan includes the following:

• Lynwood High School students will move to Lynwood Middle School.
• Current fifth-graders will remain at elementary schools for sixth grade instruction. Chavez and Hosler middle schools will teach seventh and eighth grades, with most Lynwood Middle School students shifted to Hosler.
• Teachers and staff will shift campuses with students as appropriate.

District officials will hold grade- and school-specific information sessions for parents throughout February. The District is placing a high priority on communicating the campus shifts and facilities information to staff and parents to support the District’s culture of transparency and collaboration.

“Our goal is to ensure our students and employees are safe and feel safe while minimizing disruption during the instructional day,” Board of Education President Maria G. Lopez said. “Our team will have a seamless plan in place to facilitate the move. Our school administrators, teachers and staff will work collaboratively to make the shift as painless as possible for parents and students – because our students’ safety and learning experience is our first priority.”

The District has committed to augment the Lynwood Middle School facilities to accommodate the community’s high school students, following a configuration used during the campus’ original function as Lynwood High School. The District’s rigorous instructional programs and strong extra-curricular programs will remain intact, with teachers and programs in place promoting a college-going culture.

“Our teachers are strong and every decision is student-focused, so there is no question that our students will continue to receive the highest quality instruction – regardless of logistics,” Lynwood Unified Superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite said. “We are committed to supporting each and every student in this process. We will have the same teachers teaching the same high-quality courses across the District, we will augment LMS facilities to accommodate our high school students, and we will ensure our logistics and counseling resources are in place to support all of our students and their families.”

Lynwood Unified will continue to provide regular updates via the District website, facilities newsletters, social media and community eblast messages as new information becomes available. Additional details on the realignment will be available at school websites as well as in upcoming information meetings.

“We want to thank our students and our community for their patience and understanding as we pursue remedies and repairs as expeditiously as possible. Our Board has made it clear that we will assist families, support socioemotional growth and ensure our academic program remains strong. What’s more, as we conduct this structural assessment, if there is any wrongdoing found, we will hold accountable those deemed responsible,” Lopez said. “Our Lynwood community has always stood behind our schools and our students. We will aggressively move forward with construction and repairs to get our students back to their home campuses as quickly as possible.”