IVY ACADEMIA WINS REPRIEVE FROM COUNCIL.

Byline: RICK ORLOV Staff Writer

Operators of a private charter school in Woodland Hills won a temporary reprieve Wednesday from the City Council allowing them to stay open for at least nine months despite violating enrollment limits.

Dozens of uniformed Ivy Academia students and parents -- including actor David Carradine -- crowded council chambers, where members voted 10-0 to let the school operate through June with 154 students, 114 more than allowed under its permit.

But the approval drew criticism from neighbors of the campus, who have complained that Ivy Academia has grown from a home-based day-care center to a full-blown school within 10 years.

``(Council members) just don't understand what it is like to live next to this school in a residential area,'' said Betty Salverson, who filed a request along with her husband to revoke the school's conditional-use permit. ``They have never followed the regulations and they keep getting away with it.''

During the sometimes-contentious debate over the Fallbrook Avenue school, Councilman Dennis Zine said he was looking to restore peace and harmony to the neighborhood.

``I don't want to see students punished for the transgressions of adults, but we have a school here that has knowingly violated its conditional-use permit. We put conditions on this school for a reason and they've repeatedly violated them.''

Eugene Selivanov, executive director of the school, said he has tried to follow the regulations but enrollment growth has soared because of the school's success and it has been unable to find another site.

Selivanov said Ivy Academia has four kindergarten and four first-grade classes at the Fallbrook site. It has a second campus on DeSoto Avenue that also is at capacity, with 300 students in higher grades.

``We have talked with the LAUSD and been turned down twice about buying one of their schools,'' Selivanov said.

Zine introduced a motion for city officials to work with the school district to try to acquire one of four area elementary schools -- Oso, Collins, Hughes or Highlander -- that have been closed because of declining enrollment.

School officials said there are some problems with reopening those four sites but said they are willing to work with Selivanov to find a suitable location.

Ultimately, Zine and Councilman Ed Reyes proposed giving Ivy Academia until the end of the school year to reduce its enrollment in an effort to win support from council members considering allowing the increased enrollment.

``I don't want us to see 40 children thrown out of school and displaced,'' Councilwoman Janice Hahn said. ``I think we should hold off until we know exactly what is going to happen to these children.''

Selivanov said he will have to develop a plan to meet the enrollment requirements and probably will need to eliminate one of his first-grade classes.

He was told to meet with city zoning administrators over the next 60 days with a plan on how to limit enrollment.

Zine said he hoped to see the school relocate.

Donna Schuele of the Walnut Acres Neighborhood Association said residents no longer trust the Ivy Academia officials.

``All we're asking the council to do is make sure they comply with the enrollment limit,'' Schuele said. ``Over-enrollment increases the noise and traffic problems and it presents a danger to the students who are there.''

Carradine was among a number speakers who came on behalf of the school. He told the council he was not aware of any violations, but that the school had provided an excellent education for his great-grandchildren.

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com

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