Two music-industry moguls Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre settled on Audubon as the place to start a new public high school, which will mirror the format of a USC academy that launched in 2013, catalyzed with their $70 million donation. The amount of money for the Audubon project is uncertain, but Iovine and Dr. Dre say they will spend whatever it takes.

“We’re here strictly for the kids and trying to give them a future and something promising that maybe wasn’t available before,” said Dr. Dre, the professional name for the pioneering rapper, producer and music-industry figure born as Andre Young. He and Iovine spoke at Audubon during a Monday news conference with education leaders.

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Looking at it one way, Audubon Middle School doesn’t need saving — with its energetic principal and a program with much to offer. But steep enrollment declines have left the Leimert Park campus at less than a third of capacity. And students are struggling academically — just 5% are at grade level in math. Enter Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine.

The new project is not a music school, but intended as an incubator of entrepreneurial and silo-busting talent, where students will learn to work in teams to address real-world challenges. A university-level prototype exists at USC, where students have tackled projects presented to them by medical centers, private companies and, for example, the Grammy Foundation — a tie-in with music that is not elemental to the student experience.

Audubon has much to offer, Hardemion said, including an elective in music production, where students craft their own beats and songs. There’s also a film production class. And more than a fourth of students are part of a gifted and high-ability magnet at the campus’ School for Advanced Studies. There’s also a nicely outfitted dance studio, renovated outdoor recreation areas and a sparkling gym — refurbished with the help of basketball star James Harden, who went to the school, the principal said. For more, read the full L.A. Times report.