The Brentwood Youth House located on the Brentwood Elementary School campus is not being used, but two homeless individuals had moved in.
A scary situation developed at Brentwood Magnet Elementary School on Friday afternoon, September 5: the school went into lockdown.
One parent reported “I’m on campus now. Apparently, there were some homeless people inside a building, the Brentwood Youth House, that’s on the school property, but fenced off from the school.”
The occupants were discovered, when a homeless person was trying to access the shed. “Technically on the property, but not within the area that has open access to school grounds.”
Police officers responded and arrested two people, who appeared to be living in the shed.
Palisades Elementary students are on that campus because their school was burned and will not be rebuilt until 2028.
According to a Palisades parent, the two were high and uncooperative, and taken in for a misdemeanor trespass. That parent reported the shed “smelled like meth and piss” and there was drug paraphernalia in the shed (also a misdemeanor).
Parents worry that the two will be charged and then released and make their way back to the campus.
One resident wrote CTN, “Our city is a disgrace.”
CTN reached out to LAUSD School Board Member Nick Melvoin for a comment. “I’ve been advocating for years that this building either be refurbished and put to proper use or removed altogether. It is unacceptable that no action has been taken to date.
“The building stands entirely separate and secure from the school community, and I insist that it remain unoccupied until a clear decision is made about how to address this under-utilized asset,” Melvoin said.
Police arrived on the campus, which was in lockdown, and arrested two individuals for misdemanors.
It’s just mind blowing. Both my kids here. How is there a structure on an elementary school campus with homeless people living there?
How does a Pali parent know what meth smells like? Why wasn’t Brentwood included in your interview?
When I attended Brentwood Elementary school that shed was called” The Youth House” and it was used by the school for orchestra practice and choir practice, during school hours, access was through a gate off the school yard. After school the local Girl Scouts met using the facility accessing from the front door. Sad it has been neglected and abandoned.
Over 600 million dollars is being put into the rebuild of the three damaged and burnt schools, Marquez ES, Palisades ES, and a part of Pali High. Why can’t a little bit of bond monies or FEMA or any district facilities money be put into bringing the so called “shed” back to a good use for the school and community. Glad that Ms Houge remembers a productive time for the Youth House. I am sure the district leadership has been out to Brentwood Science a few times since the Skull Rock fire to see how things are going at Brentwood. Glad the Boardmember has been advocating for a fix here for nearly 8 years to no change. Perhaps now?
I can’t Believe the people were only charged with misdemeanors?? Of course they will be out and back??!!
I had the same thought about the parent knowing how meth smelled, but we all have a past. Incredibly scary and concerning that you can’t feel your kids are safe at school. It’s ridiculous that is abandoned. It should either be used for school purposes or removed. The organized apathy in the city is unconscionable. Families need to be safe. Families need to feel safe.
They should include it inside the school’s fenced off area, clean it up and use it. Now I know meth has an odor.
When I went to that school in the early 1960’s the building was used for Blue Bird meetings, Brownie and Girl Scout meetings, arts and crafts classes given by a local resident and more community uses. It was not part of the school itself but more a community asset.
Please remember that along with the 3 LAUSD schools that were damaged in the fire, a 4th school – Canyon Charter Elementary – was directly affected by smoke & ash, to say nothing of the over 15 months of on-site extensive construction.
All you have to do to know what Meth smells like is wall by someone smoking it. You will remember it. Homeless are smoking it all over the place so it’s not hard to know how it smells., nDoes not mean a person. “has a past”!