"Their pitch? A transportation boarding school [in South Los Angeles] free to its students"

LAT:

The school would offer a vocational and college-preparatory curriculum, tightly tailored to train students for jobs in the transportation industry.

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Metro hopes graduates could address a critical need in Southern California: qualified workers

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Though the proposal is in its infancy, it has sparked resistance from some South L.A. residents who say the neighborhood needs more sit-down restaurants, grocery stores and retail space — not a boarding school.

The 4.2-acre site at Vermont and Manchester avenues, where the school would be built, has been vacant since the 1992 Los Angeles riots, when a swap meet was torched and burned to the ground. Since then, the land has been caught in a tug-of-war between politicians and residents who disagree on what should be built there to address blight.

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About 400 students in sixth through 12th grade could attend the school, staying on campus during the week and returning home on weekends, said Ridley-Thomas deputy Karly Katona. Room and board would be free.