Above photo: Members of Centro CSO with community members a successful vote against Extera charter school. Staff/Fight Back! News.
Los Angeles, CA – On October 29, East Los Angeles (ELA) residents, led by the community group Centro CSO, scored a major win against a proposed charter school in their neighborhood. Centro CSO members and residents spoke at a meeting of the LA County Board of Supervisors to oppose Extera Charter School’s plan to build a new facility on Gage and Eastman Avenues.
Angelina Chavez, a community member voiced her concerns, stating, “This project will bring constant traffic, noise, and pollution to our quiet street.”
At the meeting, Extera representatives brought over 60 parents, mostly mothers in Extera T-shirts, to voice support. However, opponents highlighted that charter schools often pressure parents to advocate on behalf of projects. Ruben Rodriguez, a resident living adjacent to the site, expressed his frustration: “I live right next to this project, and I am against it because it will cause pollution and more traffic to our community.”
Extera’s plan involved purchasing an old church to build a school for 528 students in the residential neighborhood. The charter organization is already co-located in several local Los Aneles Unified School District (LAUSD) campuses, drawing criticism for taking resources and space from public schools. Both Centro CSO and the United Teachers of Los Angeles have previously protested Extera’s intrusion.
Centro CSO had previously raised concerns about the saturation of charter schools in ELA to LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who responded by challenging the project. Solis noted that the school’s location, near Interstate 5, would worsen traffic, endanger pedestrians, and block driveways. Her objections swayed the board, resulting in a unanimous 5-0 vote against the project – marking a clear win for ELA residents.
Centro CSO Education Committee Co-chair Antonieta Garcia emphasized the health risks posed by the construction site, stating, “The Extera construction site is not safe for the community. If they break ground, it will spread lead contamination.” Garcia celebrated the victory, remarking, “We worked hard for this, canvassing the community and convincing neighbors to stand up and fight. When we fight, we win!”
Key support also came from Los Ruco, a group of retired Chicanos who canvassed door-to-door, attended meetings, and spoke out against the project. Together with Centro CSO, they engaged with residents on their needs and living conditions, rallying neighbors and empowering them to join the fight.
The victory is the latest in Centro CSO’s long-standing fight against privatization in public education, which they see as part of a broader struggle for Chicano power. Centro CSO sees their work as a continuation of the historic ELA high school walkouts of March 1968, when thousands of Chicano students took to the streets to demand educational justice. These walkouts launched the Chicano Power movement of the late 1960s, leading to gains in bilingual education, affirmative action and ethnic studies – victories that Centro CSO fights to protect today.
Centro CSO’s past wins include blocking the construction of a KIPP charter in Boyle Heights and stopping Green Dot from taking over Garfield High School. Their advocacy recently contributed to the election of Dr. Rocio Rivas to the LAUSD board. Centro CSO calls on community members to join them in defending public education.
If you would like to join Centro CSO be sure to contact them @CentroCSO on social media or attend their monthly meeting which takes place every third Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., in Boyle Heights.
Carlos Montes is the Centro CSO Education Committee co-chair.