Ben Dahan news editor
Sophia Goldberg sports editor
On May 16, Superintendent Michael Bregy released an open letter to the community following Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (Metro) construction on Constellation Blvd, behind the Village of portable classrooms.
“I have a critical responsibility to our students, their parents, our staff and our community and as you know, we have very serious concerns about Metro expanding the subway system in a manner that unnecessarily poses significant health risks to students, staff, parents, and community members at Beverly Hills High School and threatens the school’s modernization plans for future generations of students,” Bregy wrote.
Bregy also stated that the district has the city’s backing in its opposition to the construction efforts.
“I am very pleased to know that the City of Beverly Hills continues to support our school district.  On May 9, 2018, the City of Beverly Hills filed a complaint in federal court against Metro and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) contending that their latest environmental analysis of the proposed subway line under Beverly Hills High School is ‘nothing more than a rubber stamp meant to support Metro’s preferred plan,” the statement continued.
However, last week the city released a statement disavowing that of the district, stating that the city chose to pursue legal action in order to reach a deadline for a settlement.
“The City of Beverly Hills disagrees strongly with a statement issued by the Beverly Hills Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Bregy,” the statement read. “In fact, the city has been discussing a settlement with Metro and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to resolve a number of legal disputes over the construction of the Purple Line. The City’s recent legal action against the FTA, which was referenced in the district’s statement, was undertaken in order to meet a deadline that passed before a settlement could be reached.”
In the press release, Mayor Julian Gold says the city’s stance was not properly reflected by the district’s statement. According to Gold, the city will pursue reaching a settlement with Metro, while mitigating construction impacts to the high school.
“The district’s statement was misleading, does not represent the city’s position on the subway and was released without our knowledge,” Gold said. “At this time, the city feels that a mutually agreed upon settlement is in the best interests of the community. The city will continue to work closely with Metro to mitigate any impacts from construction to the high school, as we have for the areas near the La Cienega and Rodeo Drive stations.”
Bregy believes a resolution to the conflict is impossible without the parties first getting on the same page.
“I believe strongly that a fair and reasonable solution will require Metro, the City of Beverly Hills and the Beverly Hills Unified School District to sit down at the same table immediately to resolve this matter,” Bregy wrote.