Los Angeles County is looking at a plan to create a boarding school at a Vermont and Manchester avenues in South L.A.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the project wouldn’t mimic the preppy aesthetic we’re used to associating with boarding schools. Rather, it would be a combination of technical and vocational curriculums, free to the public. The county’s intention is to help fill jobs in a slew of massive transportation projects put forth in upcoming years. And the site of the school is a vacant lot where a swap meet was burned to the ground during the 1992 L.A. riots, which was acquired by the county in April.

The school could open as soon as 2020, and about 400 students from 9th to 12th grade would be able to attend. Yearly costs for the project would be about $10 million dollars, coming from the state, grants and donations. So how will this ambitious plan work? And what impact will it have on the surrounding community?

With guest host Libby Denkmann.

Guest:

Joanne Peterson, head of human resources at the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro)