Filling a need

and “Stepping out again,” Nov. 17

In a recent article, The Times questioned whether a new arts school near the Pico-Union area, scheduled to open in fall 2009 and designed primarily for one section of the city, makes sense. The answer is an emphatic yes -- when the area is one of great need where students have little opportunity to study the arts.

Last month, The Times reported that at Gabriella’s Place, in the Pico-Union area, nearly 500 children flocked to the studio to learn ballet at a cost of $5 a month, and 1,700 are on the waiting list.

The need for arts education in these communities exists, and clearly parents look for ways to improve the lives and educational opportunities of their children. New schools have been built in this area to relieve the overcrowding that students have endured for years. However, there are still far too many students being bused away, class sizes are still too large for effective learning, and arts programs in these schools are woefully underfunded.

This may be one of the most expensive schools in the history of the district, but it will be a worthwhile investment. Who knows, maybe the next Gustavo Dudamel may not come from Venezuela but from Pico-Union.

Veronica Melvin

Los Angeles

The writer is director of Alliance for a Better Community.