Aveson greets neighbors of proposed new campus

Editor's note: we're pleased to welcome our new correspondent, community journalist Devon Pettengill.

by Devon Pettengill
for Altadenablog

Representatives of the Aveson Charter Schools hosted a "meet and greet" with neighbors at Loma Alta Park Gymnasium on Thursday night to discuss the relocation of Aveson’s upper school students to the commercial building at the corner of Lincoln Ave. and Altadena Dr. Aveson hosted the meeting to address any concerns neighborhood residents might have and to hear ideas about the role the school might play in the immediate community.


Aveson Charter School is comprised of two schools: Aveson School of Leaders (ASL), serving grades K-5 and Aveson Global Leaders Academy (AGLA), serving grades 6-12.  Both schools currently occupy the old Noyes school campus on Pinecrest in west Altadena. Aveson has been told it must relocated its older students in response to the concerns of the school’s neighbors, who claim that when Aveson opened three years ago PUSD promised them it would not include a high school.

Aveson co-founder and Executive Director Kate Bean led the discussion with current Aveson students, parents, and staff providing enthusiastic back-up.  Neighbors expressed concern about traffic complications regarding pick-up and drop-off of students. Aveson is planning to stagger the beginning of its school day with that of Odyssey Charter School down the street to address such concerns.

Neighbors brought up the proximity of George’s Liquor across the street from the school’s future home. George’s Liquor owner Rom Singh was present in the audience to address neighbor’s concerns, referring to his business as a convenience store rather than a liquor store. Singh also emphasized that he and his family have been part of the community for 23 years, and that he has school-aged children of his own. “I support my community, my community supports me,” Singh said.

Though a commercial building may seem like an odd venue for a middle school and high school, Kate Bean pointed out that it fits well with Aveson’s unique approach. In addition to standard classrooms, Aveson plans to outfit the building with individual workstations for students to work on various projects. Plans also include a storefront café run by students. In addition to coffee and snacks for neighbors, the café would provide students with experience running a business and the opportunity to bring additional money into the school. The school is also talking with Loma Alta Park about shared use of its athletic facilities for physical education.

Aveson’s administration contacted the developers of the partially completed building after months of searching for a suitable facility. The goal is to have the building ready for students by September 1, 2010.  Though the building is already zoned to be a school, Aveson will need to apply for a change of use permit from LA County to use the building for educational purposes. The school is soliciting the support of the community and the Town Council to make the change smoothly. If the new building is not completed in time, the Boys and Girls Club facilities on Fair Oaks will be used as a temporary location for AGLA.

Aveson Charter School’s first priority is providing personalized learning guided by a basic set of principles emphasizing leadership, problem solving, and integrity. The charter school’s small size allows it to maintain low student-to-teacher ratios and the opportunity for students to pursue their personal interests. Admission to the school is through a lottery held each March, though some preference is given to students in the northwest Altadena area.