What is the Difference Between a Public School and a Private School?

At a recent Glendale City Council meeting, Mayor Elen Asatryan expressed the opinion that Chamlian Armenian School, located on Lowell Avenue in La Crescenta, is a public school. The topic of discussion was an appeal of the school’s use variance, which allows it to operate in a residential zone. Last May, the City Planning Commission granted Chamlian an indefinite extension of its use variance rather than the 10-year horizon used in the past. It also relaxed the school’s bussing requirements, originally imposed in 2014 when the school was permitted to increase enrollment by 200 students. The goal then was to use bussing and carpooling to mitigate the inevitable traffic increases in the already congested area on Lowell between the 210 Freeway and a busy In-N-Out. Eleven years later, only 20 or so students ride the bus and the school claims it still needs time to adjust.

As a neighbor living near the school, I can confirm what many others also experience: traffic has increased dramatically, especially since COVID. This problem will only worsen when the school expands and builds a preschool on the other side of the street. The 10-year variance time limit wasn’t arbitrary – it was a checkpoint to assess the school’s impact and make adjustments as needed. Without this time limit, the school can operate indefinitely with essentially no oversight.

So, what does this have to do with whether Chamlian is a public school or a private school? Legally, if Chamlian were a public school a use variance would not be required. Mayor Asatryan tried to sidestep this fact by arguing that “a school is a school.” This sounds inclusive but ignores key legal and practical distinctions. Public schools are funded by taxpayer dollars and provided free of charge. Private schools charge tuition. Public schools are open to all students in their local neighborhoods. Private schools, like Chamlian, have admissions criteria and draw students from outside the city.

This matters because the burdens to a neighborhood of a public school in terms of traffic, noise and safety are usually balanced by the benefits to the students in the surrounding community. However, the tradeoff changes for private schools such as Chamlian. Nearby community members bear all of the costs without the benefit.

Worse still, Chamlian is a commuter school with most parents driving from miles away. This speaks to the school’s quality but increases the volume of traffic. It also means that most parents aren’t part of the local community. Why bother to have a good relationship with neighbors you will never interact with at the grocery store, library or dog park? Without the shame of living next to the people you inconvenience it is easy to take a “not my problem” mentality and ignore the impact of your actions. This is certainly what the neighbors of Chamlian School have experienced. It’s hard to feel seen when the parent blocking your driveway literally won’t make eye contact with you.

At the hearing, Chamlian’s principal touted the fact that the school has spent $500,000 to address traffic problems and improve community relations. The traffic problems have not improved and frustration among neighbors continues to grow. These funds could instead be allocated to bus the majority of students and completely eliminate traffic issues. Neighbors of the school are willing to work with the school on solutions but council members repeatedly stressed that Chamlian has no obligation to cooperate and that it is the neighbors who chose to live near a school. Unfortunately for residents of La Crescenta, this includes anyone who tries to use Lowell to access the 210 Freeway on a weekday.

So, is Chamlian a public school? Legally and practically, no. Mayor Asatryan is mistaken. Enamored with the benefits of this school to a subset of the Armenian community, she has ignored the costs to everyone else.