UCLA Newsroom | Alison Hewitt
Building upon an existing partnership, UCLA and the Los Angeles Unified School District signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday to design a new community school, their second joint effort aimed at unifying Los Angeles neighborhoods and fostering a college-going culture in the city.
The public Mann UCLA Community School in South Los Angeles is envisioned as a cornerstone for a rigorous, personalized college-prep education. UCLA and LAUSD are collaborating to design the school, which aims to expand the current Horace Mann Middle School and reverse years of declining enrollment there. The MOU, approved at a Feb. 14 school board meeting, formalizes a partnership to operate the school. The former Horace Mann Middle School, which currently serves sixth, seventh and eighth grades, will gain a ninth grade in fall 2017, with full enrollment in grades 6 through 12 slated for 2020. If feasible, the goal is to add elementary grades starting in fall 2020.