USC Hybrid High announces location


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USC Hybrid High, a new school developed by the USC Rossier School of Education, announced its location last week on 350 S. Figueroa St. in a building known as the World Trade Center in downtown Los Angeles.

Education · An artistic rendering of USC’s new Hybrid High shows how technology and collaborative workspaces will be used in its classrooms. The high school will be located in downtown Los Angeles. - Rendering courtesy of Berliners and Associates

The school, which began its orientation sessions Tuesday, is scheduled to open Sept. 4 as part of the Los Angeles Unified School District and aims to graduate 100 percent of its high-need students by increasing access and learning opportunities.

“Hybrid High School will fill a vital need for a rigorous educational program tailored to students’ needs and [it will ensure] that more of our students are finishing high school,” principal Stephanie McClay said in a press release. “I’m excited to begin our work with our students and families.”

The 19,000-square-foot site will be composed of four large learning labs, two project rooms and “huddle rooms” for group interaction, according to the press release. The school plans to enroll 150 students its first year, growing its student body to 650 students over the next four years.

Applications are currently being accepted for the incoming ninth grade class and a lottery will be held if the school receives more than 150 applicants.

David Dwyer, executive director of USC Hybrid High, said he was tasked with creating a new program that can make a major impact in an urban community, as Katzman-Ernst Chair in Educational Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation in Rossier.

Studies have shown that one-third of dropouts are the result of needing to work, to help families or to provide care to family members, elders, siblings or children, according to a press releaese. In the LAUSD, 56 percent of ninth graders finish high school in four years. USC Hybrid High serves neighborhoods with an even lower dropout rate, according to the press release.

Families in the USC neighborhood are encouraged to attend an orientation session held at Waite Phillips Hall 403 on June 12, June 26, July 10 or July 24.