We, the undersigned parents and guardians of students together with teachers and other community stakeholders of Castelar Elementary School, demand that Metro Charter School cease all interest in petitioning to co-locate at our campus.  

Founded in 1882, Castelar Elementary is a the second-oldest continuously operating school in Los Angeles--a historic, thriving institution that serves as a major hub in the Chinatown neighborhood as well as the greater Downtown area. Castelar provides equitable, quality education for children who are largely immigrant and English learning, yet are groomed to excel and consistently earn impressive test scores. And despite its limited resources, the Title I school also provides music, art, and physical education that are no longer offered by many surrounding LAUSD schools, as well as provides an environment that is free of the bullying, gangs, and violence that is found at other inner-city campuses.

Co-locating at Castelar will absorb many of the classrooms that are currently used for the music, art, drama, and physical education. It will hinder our Mandarin Dual Language program, which not only complements our Chinatowns's unique character but attracts out-of-neighborhood families to the school and will require more classrooms annually as it grows. And it will physically divide the campus, which not only provides a nurturing safe haven for kids but serves a resource for Chinese-speaking parents that rely on the school to provide translation and assistance for everyday matters.

By signing this petition, we stand behind the excellence of Castelar Elementary as a school and its importance as a pillar in the community and assert that the co-location of Metro Charter will not only be a disservice to the local children but damage the community in an underserved but unique and closely knit neighborhood.