Commentary: As Compton students ace tests, educators are baffled by Rep. Maxine Waters' snub of school bond

Compton Unified School Board President Micah Ali received a mailer recommending a no vote on Measure CPT, a $360-million bond intended to replace badly dated Dominguez High School and sustain recent student performance gains. Ali said the recommendation carries significant influence and could hinder the district’s ability to pass the bond. The mailers arrived shortly after Congresswoman Maxine Waters attended a ceremony for the new Compton High School campus, where Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre participated and Dr. Dre was honored for a $10-million donation. Dominguez High School is described as aging and in need of major repairs, including outdated wiring and plumbing and a gymnasium air conditioning system that has not worked for years. The district also plans to replace Centennial and use bond funds for upgrades across other schools.

"When Compton Unified School Board President Micah Ali checked his mailbox last week, he was in for a shock. The school district has been making headlines as a state and national leader in student performance gains, and it has been upgrading and replacing its aging campuses to help advance that growth. Next week's ballot includes a $360-million bond measure called CPT, which would keep that momentum going and replace badly dated Dominguez High School. So when Ali opened a slate mailer titled "Congresswoman Maxine Waters' Sample Ballot and Voter Recommendations," he couldn't believe her advice on Measure CPT. Vote "no.""

""Yes, it does carry weight," Ali said, and the thumbs-down recommendation "can literally cripple our ability to pass this bond." Ali was doubly surprised because the mailers went out to voters just a few weeks after Waters attended an unveiling ceremony for the new Compton High School campus. Compton High alums and hip-hop heavyweights Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre joined the celebration, and the latter was honored for his $10-million donation to the new performing arts center."

"A second district high school, Centennial, is being replaced with a modern campus, and district officials are hoping Measure CPT passes so Dominguez students aren't left behind, but also because the district's other schools would get multiple upgrades and repairs, from infrastructure to classrooms to athletic fields. I met with Ali on Wednesday afternoon at Dominguez, along with Principal Caleb Oliver. The school turned 70 this year, and it shows."

"The grounds are scruffy, wiring and plumbing are outdated, the gymnasium air conditioning hasn't worked in years. To walk the campus is to step back in time - to the Eisenhower administration. While we were talking, Oliver called out to a sen"

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