Neighbors push back against private schools' plans to expand

The Archer School for Girls in Brentwood is planning a $100-million expansion. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)Even as some public schools struggle to repair leaky plumbing and cracked concrete, elite private campuses throughout the Los Angeles area are embarking on big-ticket upgrades to satisfy growing demand for cutting-edge education.

Many of these schools are in some of L.A.'s most affluent enclaves, and the building boom is raising the ire of some residents who dread the prospect of years of construction and noise, increased congestion and changes in character for their tony neighborhoods.

"All of these private schools are on the march," said Eric Edmunds, a Mandeville Canyon…