By Jeff Hall
I grew up in a town where all schools were always open after hours and on weekends. We had full access to playing fields, jungle gyms, and swing sets all the time.
My elementary school hired monitors who checked out equipment, watched over the kids, and provided Band-Aids when needed. The school was a very short walk from home.
Just about every afternoon or weekend, that was the place where kids hung out. Schools are supposed to serve their surrounding communities, right? The idea of using schools as parks seems like a no-brainer.
But the idea of using local schools as open playgrounds absolutely wasn’t a no-brainer in Brentwood in the late nineties.
Back in those days, just about all public schools in LAUSD had paved over their green grass with asphalt, so as to reduce landscaping, irrigation and gardening costs.
Moreover, LAUSD locked up all its school properties after school and on weekends. This was to prevent or reduce vandalism, theft, graffiti and physical injuries.
But blacktops generate a lot of heat and kids like to play on grass. Adults like open spaces, too. And in Brentwood, there just aren’t that many open spaces to gather.
Starting around 1997, an interesting idea started to take hold after LAUSD announced it was going to spend about $900,000 to replace the asphalt playground at Brentwood Science Magnet School with new asphalt: Why not use that money plus raise more money from the community to green the campus and open up the campus on weekends?
Brentwood Science Magnet School is on the south side of San Vicente, bordered by Bundy to the east, Montana to the south and Gretna Green to the west. This block of Gretna Green is where the Farmers Market is held each Sunday.
Several local leaders, including Barbara Goldenberg, Tom Safran, Jackie Raymond, Judy Jonas Scott MacGilllvray and Larry Watts got behind the idea of the park.
Brentwood Green at Brentwood Science Magnet School was organized as a 501(c)(3) public benefit charitable corporation to raise the money and turn the dream into reality.
There were significant bureaucratic hurdles to overcome, both on the part of the city and LAUSD. Nothing like this had ever been done before. Moreover, the project was going to require real money. But the community quickly coalesced around the idea and it took on a momentum of its own.
Local businesses pledged support, private money was raised, the asphalt was removed, trees were planted, gardens were planted, too. A grassy field replaced what was formerly a big swath of asphalt. Playground equipment was installed.
I remember joining a small army of volunteers one day to plant trees. I can’t recall the year; it seems like a long time ago, now. But I recall vividly how everyone got into the spirit of things. It was a wonderful day.
The park remained open for many years, an obvious and popular success.
Unfortunately during the pandemic LAUSD closed down all its schoolyards. The gates were locked and the open areas were once again off-limits to the public. How very sad for Brentwood.
But good ideas never really die; they have a way of resurfacing, often with needed tweaks to make them better, more accommodating in recognition of changed conditions.
So about two years ago, with the pandemic largely behind us, Brentwood Green the board of Brentwood Green went back to LAUSD to get the community school park reopened.
With help from the Brentwood Community Council, spearheaded by chairwoman Carolyn Jordan and a new batch of volunteers that has joined forces with the old guard, there is a new wave of support.
After lengthy discussions, Brentwood Green will once again open to the public, accessible by the public at the same time the Farmers Market is open on Sundays (8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.).
The park will reopen is this Sunday, August 18. Everybody take note: We need to keep the park clean and no dogs are allowed. If we can’t do that, we risk losing the park again.
Dogs have been an issue at the Farmers Market, too; surely we can leave Fido at home for a few hours.
We aren’t out of the woods, yet. The school needs financial support to pay for a playground monitor, janitorial services and other costs involved with operating a public park.
As we did before, let’s all pitch in. Please go to BrentwoodGreen.org/donate. There you can learn more about the project and make a donation.
Those interested in learning more are invited to send an email to info@bcc90049.org.
