Edward R. Roybal Learning Center (formerly known as Belmont Learning Center, Vista Hermosa Learning Center, and Central Los Angeles High School 11), is a secondary school located in the Westlake area of Los Angeles, California. Built to alleviate overcrowding at the nearby Belmont High School, the school's construction has been with controversy surrounding its cost and discoveries of harmful gasses and an earthquake fault, leading to a temporary suspension in 1999 that wasn't lifted until 2003. After its start in 1988, the school opened on September 3, 2008, after 20 years. History Early planning and construction of a new school called the Belmont Learning began in 1988 as an effort to reduce overcrowding at the near Belmont High School, with some of the land previously used for the Los Angeles City Oil Field. The school received some pushback due to the cost and how it would be financed. The school was designed by McLarand Vasquez & Partners, with the construction beginning in 1997. Construction was halted in 1999 after tests revealed that methane and hydrogen sulfide gases in the land, stemming from the oil field. Two years later, it was revealed that the land was situated on a major earthquake fault, with the construction stalled. After the project was temporarily suspended in 2002, With the backing of new Superintendent Roy Romer and the LAUSD Board of Education, WWCOT took over from McLarand Vasquez & Partners and restarted construction in 2006, requiring the demolishing of some of the already completed classroom buildings and the administration building. In December 2004, approximately one-third of the buildings were demolished because of the earthquake fault, and then construction continued. The total cost for the school was estimated to be around $300 million. On March 25, 2008, the LAUSD Board of Education voted to rename the Vista Hermosa Learning Center to the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center, honoring former city councilman and Congressman Edward R. Roybal who represented the area where the school is situated. On July 19, 2008, Vista Hermosa Park opened its doors before the fall opening of Roybal Learning Center, with the opening-day celebration that featured Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Supervisor Gloria Molina. On September 3, 2008, Roybal Learning Center opened for 2,400 students, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held the day before. Academics and programs The Roybal Learning Center opened with four small learning communities, the International School of Languages (ISL), the Activists