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Parents, nonprofit leaders urge Azusa Unified to lease Center Middle School space to Neighborhood Homework House
Summary
Parents, program alumni and community partners urged the Azusa Unified School District board to approve a below‑market lease letting Neighborhood Homework House move into Center Middle School, citing student safety, access and program stability; the board moved the matter into closed session and reported no action at that time.
Public commenters at the Azusa Unified School District board meeting on May 13 urged the district to approve a below‑market lease allowing Neighborhood Homework House to occupy space at Center Middle School.
Neighborhood Homework House supporters told the board the program provides academic and social support and that a permanent, centrally located site would let it serve more students. "The neighborhood homework house is not just a tutoring center," said Patricia Padilla, a parent and substitute teacher who asked the board to prioritize student safety in its site selection.
The plea drew backing from Jennifer Hicks, executive director of Neighborhood Homework House, who said the organization has operated in the community for years and "we welcome the opportunity to rent space from Center Middle School." Hicks said the proposal before the board is offered at an under‑market rate and would allow the group to continue providing free services.
Other public speakers described personal and program impacts. Parent Victoria Perez said her daughter, a Homework House participant, has improved in writing: "She also can fully write 2 sentences by herself, and I feel like this, she's improved." Danae Amaya, director of government affairs at Athens Services, said the program also provides recycling education and called the services "an immense impact on the students here at Azusa Unified School District." Former district director and Neighborhood Homework House board member Jennifer Edick Bryant told the board a lease would deepen a longstanding partnership and support the district's community schools implementation.
After public comment the board moved the matter into closed session for discussion. When the board returned, it reported no formal action taken in closed session at that time.
The public comments combined program data (the organization said it has served more than 2,000 students since its founding), parental testimony, and community partner endorsements to argue for a stable, centrally located site for Homework House. Speakers also raised a site‑selection concern: one commenter said the site currently being offered, Center Middle School, is on "a busy main street" and suggested the district consider a quieter alternative closer to family services.
No formal lease vote or contractual details were announced during the open meeting. The board did not report an outcome of the closed‑session discussion at the time the meeting returned to open session.
