It
’s an emotional topic, School District administrators and School
Board trustees agree, but they say it must be tackled due to
overcrowding in at least one elementary school, a socio-economic
imbalance in some and the opening of the new Sobrato High next
year: school boundary changes.
It’s an emotional topic, School District administrators and School Board trustees agree, but they say it must be tackled due to overcrowding in at least one elementary school, a socio-economic imbalance in some and the opening of the new Sobrato High next year: school boundary changes.
Trustees opted for a geographical placement of students in the new high school rather than allowing parental or student choice.
District students were last subjected to the shuffle with the opening of Barrett Elementary for the 2001-2002 school year. Lines were redrawn to address such issues as overcrowding and balance of ethnicity and socio-economic status.
Trustees got their first look Monday night at the work of the boundary committee, headed by Deputy Superintendent Bonnie Branco, which has been meeting since January. Sobrato Principal Rich Knapp and Branco presented four options for secondary (7th thourgh 12th grades) boundaries and five options for elementary boundaries.
At the Aug. 25 board meeting, trustees directed the committee to focus on secondary boundaries first, with a decision to be made in November, and leave the elementary decision until January. The committee will continue to look at the elementary boundaries during that time but will concentrate on the secondaries.
On Monday, trustees gave the committee further direction, by consensus decision, instructing them to throw out two of the secondary options and one of the elementary options and continue “tweaking” the remaining ones.
The option subtracted for the elementary schools was the option to keep the current boundaries.
Some of the trustees questioned the need to change the elementary boundaries for the opening of a high school.
“What we want, I think, is a clear statement for the public explaining why this is necessary,” Trustee Shellé Thomas said.
Branco said a statement would be provided. She said Burnett Elementary does not have enough students and Nordstrom Elementary is overcrowded and socio-economic balance is off at many schools.
“We’re a control-growth city,” Thomas said. “I don’t see what could have happened in two years (since the boundaries were last redrawn).”
The two options to be considered for secondary boundaries are: “the current middle school boundary would be used as the middle school and high school boundary;” and “the same boundary would be used as the middle school and high school boundary.”
Some of the positive points about the first option, according to the boundary committee report, are that the boundary allows for the feeder school concept, enrollment and ethnicity are well-balanced and families and community are aware of the boundary lines, minimizing confusion and adjustment.
Negatives include, according to the report, that Live Oak High would be located within the Martin Murphy/Sobrato boundary, all students who reside around the high school would be reassigned to Sobrato.
The second option shared some positives with the first option, including the feeder concept and family/community knowledge of boundaries, but another positive, according to the report, is that all of the schools would reside within their own boundaries, Britton with Live Oak and Martin Murphy with Sobrato.
Negative aspects cited in the report were an ethnic and socio-economic imbalance and a smaller Sobrato until future growth occurs.
A part of Monday’s discussion centered on school choice. Thomas asked how the district would handle student transfers, and perhaps if it was premature to look at high school boundaries before Sobrato was fully open and comprehensive.
“We will have two comprehensive high schools,” Knapp said. “There will only be a couple of programs not offered at each school.”
The report said wood shop, child care and possibly fashion/design will only be at Live Oak, while welding/metal shop (beginning the school year 2005-2006) and possibly the business academy and the agricultural science program would only be offered at Sobrato.
Live Oak High Principal Nancy Serigstad said Thursday she didn’t believe the program options would create a problem.
“There will be quality, equitable programs at both schools,” she said. “The core requirements will be there, and then we’ll offer what students are interested in … I think the district, as now, will be willing to identify and look at those children with special needs or request and do what we can to accommodate them.
“When it comes to sports, we have to consider CCS regulations. The commissioner actually lives in the community and has been real responsive to our needs … The extra-curricular will fall into place.”
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School Board meetings are videotaped then broadcast on cable channel 19 on Saturdays at 8 p.m.
