Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets (WESM) is a magnet high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, West Region. ^[3] It is located in Westchester (Los Angeles), a neighborhood adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport and bordered by Playa Vista to the north, Inglewood to the east, El Segundo to the south, and Playa del Rey to the west. Until the 2010–11 school year, the school was a comprehensive high school known as Westchester High School.

History

Westchester High School opened to 500 students in September 1948 at what is now Orville Wright Middle School. During the 2010–2011 school year, Westchester High School became Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets (WESM).^[4] There are three programs:

On June 1, 2011, at least 400 students walked out to protest the school's displacement of 25 teachers in addition to 10 RIF'd teachers.^[5][6]

In 2011, Rapper Tyler, The Creator was arrested in front of the school for promoting his album Goblin.

About the school

The Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets (WESM) are a trio of science-themed magnet schools, which provide individualized learning opportunities within their small, thematically-aligned programs. Together, the Westchester Magnets form one campus, providing a wide array of athletic and extra-curricular opportunities.

The Westchester Magnets embrace project-based learning. Students synthesize content from all of their classes to create projects and conduct experiments with real-world applications. They engage in hands-on learning as they experience instruction aligned to the themes of the three magnets: Aerospace & Aviation, Environmental & Natural Science, and Health & Sports Medicine.

WESM is able to offer these innovative programs through partnerships with local organizations and businesses like Loyola Marymount University, Boeing, Chevron, and the Team Heal Foundation. Because of the contributions of these partners, WESM offers opportunities for internships, field trips, guest lectures, and demonstrations by scientists and other professionals.

The school expects every student to be involved in at least one extra-curricular activity. Students participate in countless organizations, including clubs, student government, band, drama, cheerleading, drill team, and athletics.

Curriculum

In the WESM Aviation & Aerospace Magnet, students have the opportunity to participate in flight simulation. They also take a shop class where they learn applied physics by working on the engine of a real Cessna airplane, which is located on campus. In the WESM Environmental & Natural Science Magnet, students monitor renewable electricity generated by an on-campus photovoltaic facility. They also take courses focused on urban ecology and green construction. In the WESM Health & Sports Medicine Magnet, students take Athletic Training classes using a state-of-the-art athletic training room. They also study nutrition in a Culinary Arts kitchen.

Academic performance

In recent years, Westchester has shown a consistent trend of dramatically increased academic performance. Over each of the past 5 years, the school has posted significant gains in API (Academic Performance Index), going from a score of 589 in 2007 to a current API of 663.^[7]

Athletics

The Westchester Comets have an extensive history of athletic prowess. The school's most prominent program, its boys' basketball team, has won 12 Los Angeles City titles and six Division I California State Championships under its head coach, Ed Azzam. One of its players, Amir Johnson, was drafted directly out of high school there, and was originally considered to be the last high school student to be drafted in the NBA draft until 2015 and 2016 with Satnam Singh Bhamara and Thon Maker, respectively.

The Comets' home football stadium is named in memory of Hank Gathers, who played basketball at Loyola Marymount.

Student body

A majority of the students are African-American, although the school draws students of all ethnic backgrounds from across the Los Angeles area.

Orville Wright Middle School is WESM's primary feeder, although WESM also draws many students from Marina del Rey Middle School, Palms Gifted Magnet, Mark Twain Middle School, and Audubon's Gifted Magnet, along with various charter and private middle schools.

Sharla Berry, a guest columnist for YES! Magazine who attended Westchester from fall 2002 to summer 2006, stated that the school's different ethnic groups interacted with each other frequently.^[8]

Demographics

Since its reconfiguration in 2010, Westchester's enrollment has begun to gradually increase. However, this is a reversal of prior enrollment trends. Beginning in the 2004–05 school year, Westchester experienced a dramatic decline in enrollment, reaching a low point in 2010, with a total enrollment of approximately 1300 students.

During the 2004–2005 school year, Westchester had 2726 students.^[9]

• 56% were African-American
• 35% were Hispanic
• 6% were White American
• 2% were Asian
• <0% were Filipino
• <0% were Pacific Islanders
• <0% were Indigenous peoples of the Americas

For the 2005-2006 school year, LAUSD opened new schools to relieve overcrowding in the district. LAUSD opened two high schools, Southeast High School in South Gate, California^[10] and the Santee Education Complex in Los Angeles.^[11] As a result, Westchester's student population dropped to about 1,938 – close to the level of previous years.^[12] This was a welcome change for many parents who complained of the overcrowding and disruption caused by busing more students from central Los Angeles to the Westside school.

During the 2005–2006 school year, Westchester had 1938 students.

• 68% were African-American
• 25% were Hispanic
• 4% were White American
• 2% were Asian
• <1% were Filipino
• <1% were Pacific Islanders
• <1% were Native American

The Westchester campus also houses an Aerospace Magnet School that enrolled an additional 362 students in the 2005-2006 school year.^[13]

For 2005–2006, Westchester Aerospace Magnet had 361 students.

• 55% were African-American
• 32% were Hispanic
• 9% were White American
• 2% were Asian
• <1% were Filipino
• <1% were Pacific Islanders
• <1% were Native American

Four additional high schools, Arleta,^[14] East Valley,^[15] Panorama,^[16] and Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, opened in fall 2006, again decreasing the number of transfer students in many schools.

Notable alumni

Notable alumni of Westchester High School/WESM include:

David Bluthenthal

Brandon Bowman

Nia Long

• Hassan Adams, professional basketball player^[17]
• Trevor Ariza, NBA Champion ('09) with the LA Lakers and current player for the Los Angeles Lakers
• John Bachar, rock climbing free-soloist
• Brian Barton, MLB player for the St. Louis Cardinals
• David Bluthenthal (now "Blu"; born 1980), American-Israeli two-time Euro League champion ('04, '14), and retired professional basketball player
• Brandon Bowman, basketball player for Hapoel Gilboa Galil in Israel
• Harold Bronson, cofounder of Rhino Entertainment.
• Bobby Brown, NBA player
• Gene Bruno, acupuncturist
• Qiana Chase, Playboy playmate
• Larry Colton, Major League Baseball pitcher and writer
• The Crusaders, a 1960s garage band who recorded possibly the first gospel rock album
• Julie Felix, singer
• Lynette Fromme, Manson Family associate
• Domo Genesis, rapper (OFWGKTA)
• Robert Gsellman, MLB pitcher for the New York Mets
• Latasha Harlins, shooting victim, died before graduating
• Phil Hartman, comedian and actor^[18]
• Amir Johnson, McDonald's All-American (2005) and NBA player for the Philadelphia 76ers
• Kevin Johnson, American football player
• Mikel Jollett, musician (The Airborne Toxic Event) and writer
• Anissa Jones, actress
• Howard Kaylan, musician (The Turtles)
• Regina King, actress
• Patricia Krenwinkel, one of the infamous Manson Family killers
• Bruce Lemmerman, NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons
• Ricky "Ric Rude" Lewis, professional music producer, songwriter
• Thyron Lewis, AFL wide receiver
• Nia Long, actress
• Patrick Moten, songwriter
• Al Nichol, musician (The Turtles)
• Ken Norton Jr., NFL player for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers
• Rob Picciolo, professional baseball player
• Chuck Portz, musician (The Turtles)
• Gabe Pruitt, NBA player
• Roddy Ricch, rapper and singer-songwriter
• Bob Samuelson, professional volleyball player
• Demonica Santiago, singer from The Good Girls
• Al Scates, volleyball player, coach
• Roy Smalley, professional baseball player
• Elijah Stewart (born 1995), basketball player for Hapoel Eilat of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Tim Story, filmmaker
• Tyler, The Creator, rapper and record producer
• Mark Volman, musician (The Turtles)
• Karyn White, singer
• Michael Zearott, musician and music educator

References

External links

• Westchester ESM website