Chronicle.04-02-2007.ALL.A.1.MainNews.5star-dot.

By Jason B. Johnson Chronicle Staff Writer The sounds of gunshots often send children fleeing for cover in
Richmonds Iron Triangle neigh-
borhood. But a charter school,
founded by a lawyer using some of
a multimillion-dollar settlement
from a chemical disaster, is nurtur-
ing hope for a brighter future in
one of the Bay Areas poorest and
toughest neighborhoods. Richmond College Preparatory school is applying such extra re-
sources as an in-house licensed psy-
chologist to counsel families
touched by gun violence and oper-
ates with an extended school day
and year. These kids are shell-shocked. Theyve had parents killed in front
of their eyes, said David Rosen-
thal, chairman of the board of the
Richmond Childrens Foundation,
which opened the pre-kindergar-
ten and elementary school two
years ago using money that Rosen-
thal and other lawyers obtained in
the out-of-court settlement over a
large sulfuric acid release at the
General Chemical plant in Rich-
mond in 1993. The accident spewed tons of sul- furic acid into the air and sent
24,000 people to hospitals with irri-
tated eyes and lungs. In 1995, the
company agreed to settle injury
claims with an $180 million settle-
ment, of which $13 million was
used to establish the Childrens
Foundation in 1997. The crime-plagued Iron Triangle neighborhood in Richmond has a new neighbor a rigorous college prep school. The students love it. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle David Rosenthal, a civil rights lawyer who started the foundation that funds Richmond College Preparatory, lends a hand to student Meletoto Misi, whose shoes need tying. The school now has 80 students. A school helping kids take a step toward hope Preschool artists Janel Crew (left) and Anhel Gonzalez share an easel at Richmond College Preparatory school. G 1 More coverage online: A
podcast about the Rich-
mond College Preparatory
school can be heard at
sfgate.com. 1 RICHMOND: Page A9 Michael Macor / The Chronicle SPORTS, D6: 7 GOLDS, 5 WORLD SWIMMING RECORDS FOR PHELPS PAGE A2: SPECULATION RAMPANT OVER APPLE-EMI ANNOUNCEMENT DATEBOOK, E1 THE END IS AT HAND: TIM GOODMAN ON SOPRANOS MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2007 xxxxx sfgate.com 415-777-1111 46