Obama's Los Angeles Fundraiser Prompts Elementary School To Close For Day

WASHINGTON -- An upscale Los Angeles elementary school is canceling classes and day care in anticipation of President Barack Obama's fundraising event in West Hollywood tonight.

The Center for Early Education closed its doors on Monday, with a voice mail and website warning alerting those interested that its operations will resume Tuesday, Sept. 27. As for the why, the message states that the closure is "due to President Obama's visit in West Hollywood." That visit is scheduled for 6:20 p.m. Monday evening at the House of Blues, which is slightly less than 1.5 miles away from the Center.

The Obama campaign didn't immediately respond to the request for comment. But it does seem unlikely that they requested the school shut its doors for the day. Security precautions wouldn't normally require clearing a mile-and-a-half radius and another school nearby, Perutz Etz Jacob Hebrew Academy, is open for the day, an official there confirmed.

The closure may leave the 540 kindergarten-through-sixth-grade students giddy over their elongated weekend -- perhaps an overzealous bit of youth outreach for the campaign. But it was likely done for the sake of the parents whose commutes through notoriously bad Los Angeles traffic would have been made nearly unbearable. Several may have planned on attending the Obama fundraiser as well. The Center for Early Education is one of the city's more upscale elementary schools with tuition clocking in at an average of $14,586.

UPDATE: An Obama campaign officials emails that "no one from the White House or the campaign ever spoke to that school/asked them not to open today."

Comments

[onrecess]

01:26 PM on 09/29/2011

Here in floriduh the headlines were his visit caused traffic jams. Seriously. If he walked on water they would report he put his unwashed feet in our drinking water!

[jobekillo]

01:52 PM on 09/27/2011

I wish the Dem's would run Hillary. I would vote for her in a heartbeat. Obama has betrayed the people whom elected him by being the same old Washington insider that he swore to root out and stand against. He was and is the epitome of the Washington politician, all promissory lies and no results. I normally vote with dems but I swear if they run Obama this time around I will vote for anyone that runs against him. The no backbone lair needs to go back home.

[Sistagirl Young]

07:36 PM on 09/27/2011

Hi jobekillo; Where? Back to his "lair?" Life.

[citizen of the universe]

01:02 PM on 09/27/2011

Why would the President ask a school to close and why would the media ask him that question; Isn't that up to the school? Ok, I know blaming Obama is the fall back position but this is getting ridiculous.

[Sistagirl Young]

07:38 PM on 09/27/2011

Hi c of the u: G E T T I N G ?!? Life.

[citizen of the universe]

12:43 PM on 09/28/2011

Hey sistah: "G E T T I N G ?!?" You're right, we are beyond that

[TheGuide]

09:19 AM on 09/27/2011

This is so not newsworthy!

Anyone who has spent time in West Lost Angeles knows that traffic is horrendous, and parents having to drop off/pick up their children while manuvering blocked streets and even heavier traffic? I'm sure that's why they decided to close. Nothing like a bunch of frantic parent concerned that their child is waiting outside and they're no where close. Thoughts about some stranger luring them away and the school become innundated with calls. What a mess. I would order the school closed, too.

[Sistagirl Young]

07:40 PM on 09/27/2011

Hi TheGuide; But dear, you have "common sense". Somethin' that is a rare commodity these daze. Spelled that way intentionally. And any mention of it is avoided like a runnin' sore. Life.

[Pat Bateman2000]

08:56 AM on 09/27/2011

Anyone drive in this area during normal traffic, let alone when the roads are blocked for a presidential motorcade? I suspect it's no more than that and stories like this are misleading since they contain no facts other than the school was closed. Considering it was a private school, who cares.

[dukeanddad]

05:58 AM on 09/27/2011

I would bet the President's political team asked that the school be shut down for his FUND-RAISING event so the children would bring their parents to see the great President. That will make him look so great. But remember, this is also the man who places so much importance on education -- let's give-up a school day because he is coming to town!

[AtticusinPa]

07:41 AM on 09/27/2011

Since you're at it, don't forget that closing the school will cost America two hundred million dollars a day! What extravagance!

[mmonzeglio19]

10:19 AM on 09/27/2011

i wish there was a 'flag as stupid' button...

[Sean Wilde]

12:42 AM on 09/27/2011

I have tried to get around Hollywood during rush hour. It takes forever. Add in a visit from everyones fave president and that spells GRIDLOCK!!. I dont blame them for cancelling a school day

[Haitiana4Obama]

11:16 PM on 09/26/2011

I can just see the new "toned down" Faux feed: Obama's Hollywood visit shuts down school district, displacing school children and parents. Hannity isn't even going to attempt to tone it down...he's going to bling this one up.

[sakovkt]

11:06 PM on 09/26/2011

Obama really doesn't get it.

His fans (ugh!) elected him to deal with Congress, not his fans (ugh!).

2008 is over!

"Things ain't what they used to be, and this ani't the summer of love,,,"

[Haitiana4Obama]

11:20 PM on 09/26/2011

With all the unexpected small donors, sold out fundraisers, and packed town halls...I'd beg to differ. This is going to be the election season of love, at least on this side of the aisle. Let the TeaBaggers and their nominees spread hate and discourse. We're all about love: Love of the Unions, love of Equality, and love of our President.

[rowdiman]

11:31 PM on 09/26/2011

Faved, Fanned & Badged for Brilliance:)

[Sean Wilde]

12:40 AM on 09/27/2011

Fanned and Favorited as well

[PatrickforO]

10:27 PM on 09/26/2011

I'm seeing the term 'bag bot' be coined below, and I want to ask all of you if you've noticed how many right wing bloggers there now are on this supposedly lefty site who have hundreds and even thousands of fans, and how rapidly that happened. You are aware, of course, that AOL now owns this site. Do you sometimes wonder what this site will look like in a year or two? Do you think this might be yet another insidious move by big business to narrow another news outlet? They control it, you know, because without a strong yet nearly invisible propaganda apparatus, Wall Street and the big multinational corporations wouldn't be able to keep us docile while our wealth is stripped away. Don't you wish this weren't the truth?

[sakovkt]

10:59 PM on 09/26/2011

AOL and thr HP will, indeed, soon be like the HJ, SA, or KOMSOMOL.

Actually, it already is.

[Haitiana4Obama]

11:22 PM on 09/26/2011

I like the sound of it... Bag Botting Trolls...nice.

[vetxcl]

10:16 PM on 09/26/2011

At best this is incomplete reporting. Only a hint given: "Several may have planned on attending the Obama fundraiser as well." Did someone trip over the cord connecting the AP machine?

[dpooch]

09:33 PM on 09/26/2011

When a bag bot says elitist. He means uppity out of place.

[sakovkt]

11:01 PM on 09/26/2011

You need to read your KOMSOMOL, and the "the Peoples' Cube". for you are surely "shovel ready", Kamarade.

[Jenn May]

09:11 PM on 09/26/2011

Aw, those poor, under serviced children, their education will never recover...

[Sistagirl Young]

08:06 PM on 09/27/2011

Hi Jenn May; My LORD. Can you imagine the pyschiatric bills? Just tragic. Life.

[NYC619]

08:42 PM on 09/26/2011

What are Bag Bots whining about on this article? Thought they considered educated people, "elitist?" Oh wait, that only applies to non-white people they find who are using words they don't understand.

[enigma2]

09:26 PM on 09/26/2011

Bag Bots!! LMFAO!!

[sakovkt]

11:03 PM on 09/26/2011

Try "Mo-Bots"

Lots more alliteration and more appropriate to the contemporary circumstances.

[Ba Fangul]

07:06 PM on 09/26/2011

It doesn't take much for unions to declare a long weekend.

[lcr999]

09:54 PM on 09/26/2011

What the heck do Unions have to do with this story? Unions don't make closing decisions, and it is a private school anyway. DUH/

[rowdiman]

11:33 PM on 09/26/2011

Read the article, it is a private school.