"It is with great pleasure and pride that we strongly, strongly urge you to give a big, double thumbs up to this project."-- President of the Rampart Village
Neighborhood Council to the Los Angeles City Planning Commission
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Perhaps nobody impressed the Commissioners more than Everest Value Student Body President Valery R. In little more than 60 seconds, Valery summed up how the whole Value Schools community has pulled together, from contributing drawings and wishes to the principal’s “Dream Bucket” to fundraising and advocating for the project. Using an architect’s rendering as a visual aid, she let them in on the dream: “As you can see, the snow leopard on a student’s drawing has been put into the design of the new building. I think that letting students be part of the design of the new building is incredible!” And with the confidence that Value Schools instills, she concluded “We are going to reach our goal!”
Alma M., parent of two Everest Value students, brought to life what the Everest team has already built: “It's amazing. It's not only a school. It's a second house for our kids. … This is very important, it’s not only for the kids, it’s for the families, the teachers, and the whole community.”
Principal Chris Medinger spoke eloquently about the genesis of Everest Value School in 2014 including the academic and personal achievements of our students since then. He explained the creation of Everest was a collaborative effort which included hopeful parents, dedicated teachers and staff and willing students.
It worked! At the end of the public hearing, the Commission also voted unanimously to grant the Conditional Use Permit and other entitlements needed for us to move forward with construction. Both unanimous votes reflected “the passion, love, and pride demonstrated by parents, students and staff for their school.” As the Neighborhood Council concluded, “This school, and the wonderful people that give it life, will be a welcome addition to our neighborhood.” We couldn’t agree more.
We’ll keep you posted on groundbreaking news in the near future, but we didn’t want to wait to share this great milestone with you.