FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8 July 2022
Lynwood, Calif. – Today, Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), announced nearly $250 million in state funding will be used to demolish and rebuild the Lynwood High School Imperial Campus, which had collapsed in 2020. For the past few months, school district leadership has worked with state officials and Rep. Barragán to advocate for action following the construction failures that led to the fallen building.
“I am grateful the state of California will fund the rebuilding of Lynwood High School,” said Rep. Barragan. “Education is the number one door to opportunity, and kids deserve to be safe in school. The collapse of the G Building displaced almost 1,900 high school students to Lynwood Middle and Elementary schools, who then had to relocate their students, all within the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding is a great first step on the path toward recovery for the Lynwood community.”
“After the school collapsed, I spoke with Superintendent Crosthwaite and visited the school to pledge my full support to rebuild the campus. Early this year, I sent a letter to Governor Newsom outlining the need for an emergency investment to rebuild the school. With this funding LUSD can make itself whole again and ensure the new facility is strong and lasts for generations to come.”
In June 2020, a section of exterior roofing panels fell from Building G on the Lynwood High School Campus, which housed 118 of the 124 classrooms on campus. Fortunately, the incident occurred during the pandemic school closure, so no one was physically harmed. The collapse prompted a review of the building’s structural integrity, which was found to be severely compromised from major shortcuts in construction. The school was promptly closed, and students had to be migrated to middle school campuses, causing a severe interruption in education and the loss of over 400 students who did not re-enroll this year.
As result of collaboration with the state legislators, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, along with Assmblymember Mike Gipson and Senator Lena Gonzalez set aside $250 million to Lynwood Unified School District to serve thousands of students in Lynwood who have been displaced by the collapse.
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Nanette Diaz Barragán is proud to represent California’s 44th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Carson, Compton, Florence-Firestone, Lynwood, North Long Beach, Rancho Dominguez, San Pedro, South Gate, Walnut Park, Watts, Willowbrook and Wilmington. She serves as chairwoman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Border Security, and on the House Energy and Commerce Health, Energy, and Environment & Climate Change Subcommittees.