In response to the pending closure of the AGBU Vatche & Tamar Manoukian High School, the organization’s Western District Committee sent the following letter, which Asbarez obtained, to the school’s parents, students, faculty and staff:
“Dear MHS Students, Parents, Teachers, Staff, Alumni, AGBU and Community Members:
On behalf of the AGBU Western District Committee, we are writing to address the notice of Friday October 25, 2019 which outlined AGBU and the Manoukian Foundation’s intent to combine the AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian High School with Manoogian Demirdjian High School.
We have received many comments and questions regarding this announcement. Understandably, the news has caused both shock and disappointment. Western District empathizes with all who will be impacted by this change and as members of the community, share in its ramifications.
Pursuant to the governing framework of AGBU, the Western District is not involved in the management or oversight of AGBU Schools in the Los Angeles area. We are here to ensure your concerns are heard and addressed by the appropriate bodies, in this case the School Board of Vatche and Tamar Manoukian High School, the AGBU Central Board and the Manoukian Foundation.
The Western District Committee was advised of this decision immediately prior to the community at large. We understand the frustration, anger, and disappointment, but we are hopeful that these emotions can be channeled into finding constructive solutions.
We remain, as always, ready, willing and able to serve our community and work together in an effort to move forward even in these challenging times.”
AGBU Western District Committee
The fact that they still insist that it’s “combining” of the two schools indicates unfaithfulness and dishonesty. The school’s meager expense relevant to AGBU’s annual budget is shameless and irrelevant to even discuss. The immense loss to the community and its students will reverberate for years to come.
We are struggling an uphill battle in Disspora to make sure that the comming Armenian generation is able to protect its Armenian identity. Armenian schools and churches are the only credible resources to help achieve that goal. All Armenian schools that have 100 enrolled Armenian students should remain in service indefinitely. Financial constraints should not dictate Armenian school closures. If more money is needed to keep Armenian schools functioning, than we should collectively find means and ways to meet that need. Otherwise in 20-30 years we will face complete erosion of Armenian identity in Diaspora. Our forepatents paid with their lives to stay Armenians from time immemorial. This is not time to betray them for 10 pieces of Silver.
If we collectively can not protect the future of our next generation,
as Armenians, than we have lost it all. Wake up AGBU, AMAA, Gulbenkian Foundation and the like.
These schools do not truly belong to the AGBU to sell. They were built with funding from our communities. Some people In the AGBU are getting very rich at our expense.