Making Progress for the LAUSD Venice Community of Schools

1. Nearly completed the ongoing $150 million
comprehensive modernization project at
Venice High to bring a new, state of the art
campus to the community — construction
continues and ahead of the original
schedule! (pictured)
Supported the creation of Mandarin and
Spanish Immersion Programs at Venice High
to complete a strong TK-12 language
immersion pathway in the Venice community
Funded multi-mullion dollar classroom
upgrade and campus improvement projects
to modernize facilities at Marina Del Rey
Middle School
Animo Venice High · Beethoven Elementary · Braddock Elementary · Broadway Elementary
Coeur d'Alene Elementary · Geothe Elementary · Grand View Elementary · ICEF Vista Elementary
ICEF Vista Middle · Marina Del Rey Middle · Marina Early Ed Center · Mar Vista Elementary
Mark Twain Middle · McBride Special Ed Center · Phoenix High · Playa del Rey Elementary
Short Elementary · Stoner Elementary · Venice High · Venice Skills Center · Walgrove Elementary
Westminster Early Ed Center · Westminster Elementary · Westside Global Elementary
Proudly serving Board District 4 on the LA Unified Board of Education
MAKING PROGRESS FOR THE
VENICE COMMUNITY OF SCHOOLS
As we work to make LA Unified a more transparent, student-centered system that improves academic
outcomes and supports the overall wellbeing of our kids, check out some highlights of the progress we've
made for the school communities in Venice over the past few years.
Served over 140 million free meals and other basic necessities to kids and families in need at our 63 "Grab and Go"
meal centers, including at Marina del Rey Middle School, while schools were closed during the pandemic (pictured)
Coordinated with local vendors and community
partners to provide school meal delivery services for
families in need who couldn't reach Grab and Go sites
Began a Youth Advisory Council to hear from student
leaders at all Board District 4 high schools about their
perspective and ideas for strengthening their
educational experience
Eliminated bureaucratic hurdles to make it easier for
booster clubs to use school facilities
Installed new secure entry systems at Short
Elementary, Stoner Ave Elementary, Westside Global,
Beethoven Elementary, Westminster Elementary, and
Marina Del Rey Middle

2. Assisted Venice High community to ensure City
renovated pool so the aquatics program could continue
Funded "Nature Explorer" outdoor classroom projects
at Westminster Ave Early Education Center and at
Marina EEC, which was completed in 2019, to give our
youngest students an innovative new outdoor learning
space (pictured)
Approved funding for new parking gates at Braddock
Elementary and Grand View Elementary
Supported Mark Twain Middle School in rolling out their
Individual Honors Program and making it part of a
successful pathway for the Venice school communities
Supported and advocated for Short Ave Elementary in the successful application process for their International
Baccalaureate status
Supported the sharing of Coeur d'Alene Elementary's innovative CGI program with other schools to replicate their
success and honored Principal Jenkins for his work leading the school community and these efforts across the District
Funded multiple school site upgrades to ensure that campuses are fully accessible to all students at Mar Vista
Elementary, Grand View Elementary, Short Ave Elementary, Mark Twain Middle School, Marina Del Rey Middle, and
Westminster Elementary School
Making Progress for the Venice Community of Schools
Hosted Venice and Mar Vista Community
Forums to engage in conversations about
community stakeholders' vision for the
future of their schools
Funded new musical instruments to enhance
arts programming at Beethoven Elementary
and Braddock Elementary
Helped close the digital divide at Stoner
Elementary, Braddock Elementary,
Westminster Elementary, Beethoven
Elementary, Grand View Elementary, Walgrove
Elementary, and Mar Vista Elementary
(pictured) by procuring digital devices and
charging stations for students
Funded a professional development program
for 120 TK teachers to help with early literacy
training
Funded water bottle filling stations at Coeur
d’Alene Elementary
Funded library modernizations at Playa Del Rey Elementary (pictured)
Funded the “SEEDS” program, which provides educational campus
gardens, at Coeur d'Alene Elementary, Walgrove Elementary, Westside
Global Awareness, and Mark Twain Middle School
Funded a pilot program to increase water efficiency and reduce
utilities at Marina Del Rey Middle School
Assisted in securing facilities grants totaling $5 million for
improvements at co-located campuses, including Goethe Charter
School and Marina Del Rey Middle School
Funded buses for a field trip so Grand View Elementary students
could spend a day at the Natural History Museum
Ensured community-led process in new principal searches at Venice
High and Walgrove Elementary
Funded an outdoor learning environment to supplement Mar Vista
Elementary's campus garden

3. Making Progress for the Venice Community of Schools
Supported the Class of 2020 graduates during the pandemic with gifts, virtual ceremony speeches, and socially
distant or drive-through events at Venice HS, McBride, Phoenix HS, Venice Skills Center, and Animo Venice, and
successfully advocated for safe, in-person graduation ceremonies and celebrations for the Class of 2021 (pictured)
Approved a new “Whole Child”
platform that provides educators
with a more holistic academic and
social-emotional snapshot of
students' wellbeing by integrating
data from various sources
Supported the recognition of Clean
Air Day and secured multiple air
quality monitoring devices to
improve the safety of our students
and school communities, with the
first phase of installations complete
across the district, including at
Westminster, Walgrove, Playa del
Rey, and Couer d'Alene Elementary
Helped maintain funding for teachers at Broadway Elementary, Walgrove Elementary, and Beethoven Elementary
Funded network upgrades to meet the technological needs of students at Mark Twain Middle School, Phoenix
Continuation High, Marina Del Rey Middle School, Broadway Elementary, and Coeur d'Alene Elementary
Coordinated the donation of 400 pairs of
“Buddyphones” headphones to mitigate
distractions during at-home learning, and
distributed them to students at the Mar Vista
Family Center (pictured)
Helped ICEF Vista Middle School maintain their
current site to avoid a new colocation
Helped secure necessary funding for additional
teacher at Mark Twain Middle School Language
Immersion program
Funded a field trip for Phoenix Continuation
High students to see the Actors' Gang
Supported Gardening and Horticultural
programs to thrive at Venice High
Funded campus repairs to modernize facilities
at the McBride Special Education Center
Funded walk-in freezers and new refrigeration units at multiple schools including Stoner Avenue Elementary and
Grand View Elementary
Completed the Parent & Family Center at Westside Global (pictured) and Stoner Ave Elementary

4. Boardmembermelvoin.com
213.241.6387
BD4info@LAUSD.net
@NickMelvoinBD4
Making Progress for the Venice Community of Schools
…and the work continues, to keep making progress for our school communities and
meeting the needs of all our students, families, teachers, administrators, and staff!
Completed the new innovative
outdoor field and play area
construction project at Stoner
Ave Elementary and ICEF Vista
Elementary (pictured)
Funded new interactive displays
at Venice Skills Center
Supported a parent-led painting
project to beautify the campus
at Braddock Elementary
Supported and helped promote
innovative summer programs at
Venice Skills Center
Funded gym upgrades and the completion of the new tennis court project at Mark Twain Middle School (pictured)
Collaborated with the City and County
to launch the nation's largest college
savings account program, providing a
bank account and $50 initial deposit
for every LAUSD first grader
Ensured that vital afterschool programs
like STAR and YMCA, could continue to
serve our students and families
Funded new lunch tables at Marina
Early Education Center
Funded a new wrought iron fence while
preserving open space at Venice High
For more updates and information:
UPDATED 3/2022
Funded sensory rooms for to help social-emotional needs of students at Walgrove Elementary
Ensured that revenue for leasing the parking lot at Westminster Elementary and Westside Global Awareness
Magnet would go to the schools