Parents, students enraged over vote by Inglewood school board

The meeting was hosted by Ad Hoc Committee president Ramona Wade — who urged parents, students and community members to demand that two key elective classes be funded by calling, emailing and writing letters to Young, school board member Arnold Butler and Superintendent Gary McHenry.

She also said there are plans to demonstrate at a special meeting of the board scheduled for Friday.

The call was in response to a Feb. 22 school board meeting, where Young and Arnold Butler voted against funding for the college preparatory electives of Greek Mythology and Drama.

The classes are currently being taught at the school, but the teachers are not being paid for them, causing worry that they could be abruptly discontinued.

The actual board vote was split 2-2, with Trina Williams and Carol Raines-Brown voting in favor of funding the classes; but board member Cindy Giardina — who reportedly backs the measure — was absent due to a family emergency.

According to board rules, that resulted in denial of the item.

Speaking to a packed classroom, City Honors’ college counselor Gina Tucker-Williams, explained the situation.

“The teachers are actually teaching the classes, so now we’re hoping they will get paid and we don’t have to stop,” she said.

“What happened is when we found out they were not going to offer the classes, myself and Ms. Brown went to the district and met with … Superintendent [Gary McHenry]. He assured us the classes would be approved.

“We put in the requisition forms and they said the teachers would be paid, but the forms came back saying there’s no money and [asking], ‘Where is the money in your budget?’ This is after they promised … to fund the classes. We’re being very optimistic, but we need the parents’ support to see that this occurs.”

Reached for comment, a reporter was told that McHenry was out at a conference, and Young did not return a call by press time.

Said Butler: “I am not going to comment. Talk to the superintendent.”

In December, The Wave reported that the parent organizing body at the school had accused board president Johnny J. Young of meddling in campus affairs to such a degree that nearly 100 students left in the last school year.

They said Young is determined to get rid of acting principal Thelma Brown, who is overwhelmingly backed by the parents, students and teachers.

Raines-Brown received a warm round of applause when Wade announced that she was in the audience, and she proceeded to gather members of the senior class around her and addressed the meeting.

“I’m here this evening to support the student’s efforts and City Honors,” she said.

“I will continue to fight and we will get these classes back on the agenda at our next board meeting.”

Her sentiments were echoed by 17-year-old student leader Joaquin Larios.

“I’m doing the AP classes in Greek Mythology and Drama,” said Larios, who plans to attend Loyola Marymount University to study business management before entering law enforcement.

“Why can’t they just give us the classes, when they’ve approved the same classes at Inglewood, Hillcrest and Morningside High School?”

Melinda Ealy, a parent who has an eleventh-grader at the school, said it felt “very much like a Bell situation,” referencing the city in southeast Los Angeles County that has been rocked by scandal.

“We’re not asking for anything over and above what we’ve been promised, and we just don’t understand this vendetta,” she said.

“We want the politics removed from the school so our kids can thrive.”