ABOUT FOMWS

Friends of Mt. Washington School (FOMWS)

Organization Introduction

We’re a nonprofit, tax-exempt  community based organization whose mission is to establish and sustain consistent, supplemental fund-raising mechanisms and programs in support of educational, enrichment, and capital improvement programs for Mt. Washington Elementary School.

MT. Washington Elementary School has been one of LAUSD’s ongoing success stories and FOMWS is committed to sustaining this level, of academic performance and support for our children through vigorous neighborhood, communitty and corporate fundraising efforts.

FOMWS is also the Joint Use Partner with the State of California and LA Unified School District for the community access and use of the Jack and Denny Smith Library and Community Center.

Mt. Washington and Its School

The MT. Washington neighborhood of Northeast Los Angeles is one of the City’ most historic, diverse and eclectic communities.  Created in 1909 as a subdivision on the north side of the Los Angeles River, Mt. Washington boasts quiet, secluded, panoramic views, and important cultural landmarks such as the Southwest Museum, Charles Fletcher Lumis Home and the Self Realization Fellowship World Headquarters.

For six decades, the picturesque mountaintop community has supported one of region’s most successful elementary schools.  FOMWS believes that a strong community begins with a collective effort to support its school.  Support for Mt. Washington School builds positive networks of concerned citizens, stabilizes and improves property values, lowers crime and drug abuse, promotes academic achievement, and creates an uplifting sense of neighborhood and business partnership.

FOMWS and the Multi-Purpose Room Mandate

The Jack and Denny Smith Library and Community Center was initially proposed in 1993 by a group of parents at Mt. Washington School who desired to incorporate a non-profit 501c3 booster club that would raise funds specifically for extra currricular activities such as art and music projects in addition to fundraisers by the PTA.

Among the founding members of the group were Liz Herron, an architect and wife of Warren Christensen, an MFA graduate of the USC Theater School.  Their vision was to see the Mt. Washington Elementary School become more than a cluster of classrooms.  The idea was to combine a library space larger than a basic classroom, a computer lab, a kitchen for hot lunches and a multi-purpose room that would serve as an auditorium for assemblies, art exhibits, music performances and a community gathering place.

The project development team was enhanced by the inclusion of Bob Sipchen, an editior and pulitzer prize winning journalist at the L.A. Times who felt the school would benefit from a literacy center that would house children’s books and sponsor author lead workshops with the support of the Times.

The L.A. School Board suggested that FOMWS also achieve a consensus and input from the Mt. Washington community as well.  A committee was formed to design, fund and build the addition and name it after Jack Smith, the literary giant living and writing most of his life from his home in Mt. Washington.

Although the idea was great, the path to achieve it was challenging to say the least.  Over a ten year period more than a 100 meetings were held to field a shifting community consensus before the building’s final site and plan became fully designed and funded.  Many benefit performances produced by the Friends of Mt. Washington School and community, pledges from the City of Los Angeles, LAUSD school board and even a failed special election to raise funds from a bond issue ensued over the same period of time.

Eventually the process raised the  5.8 million dollar-budget to build the center.  The Los Angeles Unified School District Board signed off, agreed to build the 10,000 square foot additon and began construction.  With cost over runs the project swelled to 10 million.

The Jack and Denny Smith Library and Community Center was finally opened in April 2004 with a grand performance of 20 Mt Washington resident performers and musicians in an all day festival of the arts from the community.

The Friends of Mt Washington School, incorporated in 1993 to raise funds for school enrichments programs, received for it efforts of spearheading the addition, a 30 year joint use agreement with Los Angeles Unified School District and the State of California to use the new building for community use, hence the name now incorporates the title Community Center.  As a result, during non-school hours, residents of Mount Washington and surrounding communities can use the Center, which has a 400 seat capacity and a stage with sound and theatrical lighting.

The non-profit FOMWS steering committee is responsible for the policy and programming guidelines at the Community Center, which has hosted everything from Scout meetings to seminars, art shows to neighborhood assemblies, musical concerts to theatrical performances.

All interested parties can contact FOMWS for additional information and rates.  Click on the  ”MPR Use Application” fill out the necessary information and submit to FOMWS for review.

All proceeds from the rental of the MPR are returned directly to the benefit of the school and its teachers and students.