Link: News story about Brenda and our farm from 2022

Please note: this is not a fundraiser, just a petition to collect signatures.

If you don't know Brenda...she is the kind of person you will never, ever forget. Her devotion to her work, the way she positively impacts everyone who knows her, and her willingness to do whatever it takes to support students, families, and her colleagues are truly unmatched. She is a very, very special person, and she needs our help.

Brenda Schwartz has been an integral part of Lake Balboa College Prep Magnet K-12 for the past 42 years. As a campus aide, she interacts with grades K-12 on a daily basis, and has positively impacted the lives of a truly countless number of students throughout her career. In addition, she is also responsible for one of the most unique features of our school: our amazing farm, which was officially renamed "Brenda's Barnyard" in her honor and to recognize her 40 year anniversary at Lake Balboa and with LAUSD. The work she does caring for the numerous animals, gardening, organizing special events on the farm, and making time for classes to have time on the farm each week is incredibly valuable. Our school simply would not be the special place it is without Brenda.

Today, with no explanation, we found out that as of July 1, 2024, LAUSD is transferring Brenda to another school (not local to her) and cutting her hours to only 3 hours per day. We simply will not accept this. Brenda deserves to finish her amazing career at the school she has given so much of her time, resources, and love to over the past 42 years. The impact losing Brenda would have on our school would be devastating. It would be very difficult for us to find another animal caretaker in such a short timeframe, and if we do not, we could lose the amazing farm Brenda has devoted her life to cultivating. In addition, transferring Brenda shows a complete disregard for the amazing relationships she has formed with current families and students, as well as countless alumni, over the past 42 years, and does not show respect for the decades of service she has given LAUSD.

The Lake Balboa College Prep Magnet staff, families, and students are gathering signatures on this petition to demand that LAUSD rescind Brenda's transfer and allow her to remain working at Lake Balboa for the upcoming school year, with the same daily scheduled hours.

It is imperative you sign this petition immediately, as our window of time to act is very short. I am writing this on June 20th, and as of now, Brenda's last day at our school is supposed to be Sunday, June 30th. 

Please sign. Brenda, our farm, our school, and our students need your support NOW.