Plans for School on Site of Ambassador Advance

Despite competition from developer Donald Trump, the Los Angeles Unified School District announced Monday that it intends to go forward with plans to construct a high school on the site of the former Ambassador Hotel.

District officials are scheduled to appear before the State Allocation Board in Sacramento on Wednesday to seek $120 million to begin construction of a 2,500-student school on the 24-acre site.

Trump wants to build the world’s tallest high-rise on the land and has suggested two alternate sites for the school. But both have been rejected by district officials because they are in heavy traffic areas and would require homes to be torn down.

At a news conference Monday, school board President Jackie Goldberg accused Trump of showing “blatant disregard for the needs of the community.” She said more than 4,000 students are bused each day from overcrowded schools surrounding the Ambassador site to campuses up to an hour away.