Proposed RHE Chandler Project May Have Some School Issues

The following are some excerpts from Sunday;s Daily Breeze. The full article may be viewed at the following link: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_18254314

The long-discussed Chandler Ranch project, which this week moves closer to approval by the Rolling Hills Estates City Council, may include an unexpected surprise for potential luxury homebuyers: Students who live in the residential development could be divided among three school districts. The 114-home subdivision – a joint project of the Rolling Hills Country Club and the neighboring Chandler’s Sand and Gravel facility – would be built where the boundaries of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Torrance and Los Angeles school districts intersect.

Part of the project is within Torrance, necessitating a 32-acre land swap between the cities of Rolling Hills Estates and Torrance. The project’s backers have promised Torrance $10 million for that deal, Mayor Frank Scotto said. But no swap among school districts – separate legal entities with boundaries that don’t always correspond to cities – has occurred. That means about half the homes may be within Torrance Unified, and a few may even be in Los Angeles Unified.

Map above provided by the Daily Breeze

A map provided by the California Department of Education shows that the 228-acre project site sits where LAUSD, Torrance Unified and Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified meet. Comparing the state’s school district map with a layout of the planned development, it appears that a few homes on a cul-de-sac in the northeast corner of Chandler Ranch could be within an area of LAUSD that feeds students to Lomita schools and Narbonne High in Harbor City.

On Tuesday, the Rolling Hills Estates City Council will hold its second hearing on the project. The panel is expected to postpone a final vote until a later meeting.

It will be interesting to see how this issue will be resolved