SOUTH GATE : Odyssey High Finds a Permanent Home

The Odyssey High School epic has ended.

The continuation high school, which almost two decades ago embarked on a journey to find a permanent facility after moving from overcrowded South Gate High, opened last week.

Two stories tall and vibrant with contemporary colors, the $2.7-million school is a model for Los Angeles Unified School District continuation programs, which often operate out of cramped bungalows, officials said.

By providing closer attention than regular schools, continuation school programs aim to keep youths who have been deemed dropout risks.

“This makes us feel a little better about going to school,” said Fadil Allen, 17, of the new building as he eyed the weightlifting equipment in the outdoor recreation area. “I look forward to using some of that.”

Even though some criticized the architecture, saying it reminded them of a mini-mall or an apartment complex, the youths said they appreciate Odyssey because it is better than what they had.

The change is dramatic for the students, who were used to rickety wooden floors in tight classrooms at nearby First Southern Baptist Church, where the school rented rooms for 14 years.

“I didn’t feel safe at the other building because it was run-down,” said Vilma Monterroso, 19, who will graduate in June. “I felt like the structures would crash down at any minute.”

The new 10,233-square-foot school, which took three years to build, has six classrooms, twice as many as were available in the church. The facility has a library, workrooms for teachers, a kitchen and space for computers--amenities not found at First Baptist.

Principal Fernando Ramos said the science, math, English and social science classes will have computer laboratories within two months, with each room receiving four computers and space to add six more machines.

First Southern Baptist didn’t meet earthquake standards so the district decided to build a permanent school rather than lease another building, said Rodger R. Friermuth, the district’s facilities project manager.

Most of the district’s 43 continuation high schools operate out of portable trailers crammed into small areas on regular high school campuses. Many facilities are leased and buildings that were not meant for classrooms often are used.

Odyssey moved from cramped bungalows at South Gate High in about 1978 when additional space was needed. Today, South Gate serves about 3,500 students. A proposal to build an addition for Odyssey on the front lawn of South Gate High was rejected after critics complained it would ruin the school’s stately appearance. It took several attempts, but a bond measure to finance the school was finally passed by voters.

Willene Cooper, who was on the district’s School Community Advisory Council, found the empty classrooms at First Southern Baptist Church next door to South Gate High in 1981. “My promise was after we move them that we find them a place . . . something they can be proud of. Not something where they feel like second-class citizens,” she said.