Nearly 35 years ago, Westchester became the neighborhood high school for families residing in the Windsor Hills/View Park area. Then, comprised of predominantly white students who lived in the Westchester area, the school was an institution of academic excellence and touted themselves as being one of the highest achieving schools in all LAUSD. Westchester now has a reputation as being a mecca for developing top notch high school talent who eventually attend top rank colleges and the pros. Thirty years later Westchester High has seemingly been abandoned by it's local Westchester community and forgotten by it's Windsor Hills/View park community. As a result, the school holds the record for being the last LAUSD High School with an African American population that exceeds 75%. When thinking of the local high schools Crenshaw and Dorsey High school are the public high schools that come to mind in the View Park, Windsor Hills, Los Angeles, and parts of Inglewood area. Westchester High school is the local high school for some 600 students in the View Park, Inglewood, and Los Angeles surrounding areas including zip codes 90043, 90045 and 90301 and 90008. In the mid seventies, Westchester opened its boundaries to include the View Park, Windsor Hills, Inglewood areas, because of the low enrollment from the surrounding Westchester community.
In the midst of hiring a new principal, Dr. Bruce Mims, a new governance model was voted on January 21st on the heels of a new governance model with a partnership between Loyola Mary mount and the I Design Division, a quasi charter model where the parents, teachers and community make visionary, operational, budgetary and staffing decisions. There is a vote on February 20th and 21st. when the View Park, Windsor Hills, Los Angeles community is invited to show their support for our community member Ms. Crissina Johnson, a pastor and founder of POWWOW, parents of Westchester and Orville Wright. Johnson said, "She is running for this office because our students deserve the support of the community." She has been instrumental in bringing a newly formed alumni group on campus who is getting involved and bringing resources to the school. The POWWOW group has had an active presence on the campus, supporting parents, students and teachers. She comes with endorsements from Michelle King, local district superintendent, Dr. Shane Martin – LMU School Of Education Dean, Drew Furedi, LMU Family Of Schools Director, administrators, parents and teachers from Westchester High and local business owners.
Thanks to the support of local a Windsor Hills business owner, Mr. Percel there will be voting opportunities at Simply Wholesome at 4508 Slauson Blvd on Friday, February 20th from 1:00-7:00 and February 21st from 9:00-1:00. The community's voice needs to be heard. Crissina Johnson has been the forerunner in bridging the two communities of Westchester; the surrounding and the "commuter community students and parents" from the Windsor Hills, View Park, and Los Angeles, areas.
