CALABASAS : A. E. Wright Middle School Seeks Marquee

Arthur E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas has unveiled tentative plans to install a marquee as a way to promote school spirit, despite the objections of environmentalists, who say the signs spoil the area’s scenic beauty.

The news comes in the wake of a controversy that split the community when Calabasas High School installed a marquee without telling the city. City officials tried to force the school to obtain a special permit, but the Las Virgenes Unified School District refused, saying state law exempts educational facilities from having to abide by local ordinances.

City officials eventually backed off, and the district agreed to reduce the brightly lit marquee’s wattage and its hours of operation.

Following the Calabasas High controversy, the Board of Education directed school officials to consult with it before installing marquees in the future.

A.E. Wright Principal Michael Botsfordz wrote in a March 13 letter to district officials that parents have asked that the sign be installed, in part, to help improve communication between parents and the school, as well as to promote school spirit.

Toby Keeler, an environmentalist who helped spark the controversy over the Calabasas High sign, said Tuesday he is upset over A.E. Wright’s plans. The sign, which would be installed off Las Virgenes Road, would be a blight on yet another scenic corridor, he said.

“Once again, they have taken a position that they don’t need to get permission from the city,” said Keeler, a former planning commissioner. “Maybe they don’t have to go to the city, but what kind of example does this set for the children in the school system?”

Donald Zimring, the district’s superintendent of business, said school officials believe they have support from the community.

“We are not intending to inflame or anger anyone,” Zimring said. “It boils down to what’s effective communication with parents, and this is common. This is something that the parents want for the kids, and the parents are also members of the community.”

The Board of Education will vote April 25 on whether to approve A.E. Wright’s request for the marquee, said Barbara Bowman-Fagelson, chairwoman. Meanwhile, she said, the board is working on establishing a policy for dealing with potentially controversial issues that affect neighborhoods near schools.

“Some of our schools are right in the middle of homes, in the middle of the community,” she said. “We need to be aware of concerns and needs for the community too. I think we need to work together.”