Agenda Item
F.03. Plan for Comprehensive Study of Demographics, Location of Neighborhood Schools, and Transportation (Evans) (Board Governance Policy: OE-13)
Meeting:07/14/2009
Category:F. OPERATIONAL MATTERS RESERVED FOR THE BOARD
Agenda Type:ActionPreferred Date:
Fiscal Impact:NoAbsolute Date:
Dollar Amount:$0.00Budgeted:
Budget Source:
Agenda Item Content
RECOMMENDATION: Board member discussion and action on a Plan for Comprehensive Study of Demographics, Location of Neighborhood Schools and Transportation.

BACKGROUND:
Problem: Decisions about the location of schools, school capacity, types of schools available and school closures have too often been made due to immediate need and short-term financial considerations. The board is often faced with decisions regarding school closures and transportation issues without long term data. San Diego Unified now has insufficient school capacity in areas where many children live and excess capacity in neighborhoods with fewer kids. Many students are bussed great distances to correct the facilities imbalance.

Some neighborhood schools are perceived as inadequate, which results in lower enrollment and continued deterioration of quality. While parents and students should have some choices to meet the unique educational needs of each student, parents should not have to choose another school based solely upon an inadequate neighborhood school.

Solution: Stronger neighborhood schools will result in better connections with students, parents and community. School capacity needs to be developed where students live. At the same time we need to promote diversity throughout the entire San Diego community. We also need to offer varied educational opportunities based on the needs of students. There are many fine programs within the district that offer choice, special curricular emphasis and promote diversity. These programs need to be fine tuned to meet our changing needs from 2009 to 2020.

As a district, we need to develop criteria for the long term development of our schools that will also affect our short term decisions. Such questions include, but are not limited, to the following: What is the proper size range for our schools? What is a reasonable amount of transportation for students within the district? What type of high schools do we want and where should they be located? How do magnet schools supplement neighborhood schools and promote diversity and special programs? If we support neighborhood schools, how far should a child have to travel to reach a “neighborhood school?” How do we lessen the capacity of bus schedules on individual school schedules? How do we support neighborhood schools and diversity at the same time? How do we support communities in developing their own schools and the stable flow from elementary to middle to high school? How can new technologies bring new educational opportunities to all of our schools regardless of location? Key question: How do we want our schools to be configured by the year 2020?

Determination of the above criteria needs to be made by the Board of Education with input from staff and from the community. It is proposed that this long term planning (minimum of 10 years into the future) be accomplished through the following steps:

1. Board workshop to develop the criteria for school type, capacity and location of schools
Proposed time frame: July to September 2009

2. Board workshop with staff input
Proposed time frame: July to September 2009

3. Presentation to the public of criteria for school development (without listing specific schools) for possible modification
Proposed time frame: October 2009

4. Direction to staff to perform demographic study of where children live vs. where they attend school, reasons for variability, current birth rates and housing development. All of this needs to factor in the school needs for each community and the financial and time considerations for re-aligning our schools.
Proposed time frame: November 2009 to January 2010

5. Adoption of 10 year plan
Proposed time frame: January 2010

6. Plan for implementation working with communities for closure, school change, increase to full capacity or increased capacity
Proposed time frame: January to March 2010

7. Finalization of plan for 2010-11 and approval of school changes.
Plans could include means to utilize full capacity of schools and changes in programs. Any school closures at this point would be based upon those who received early notification in summer 2009 and ongoing determination that it is appropriate at this point.
Proposed time frame: March 1, 2010

8. Finalization of plans for 2011-12
This will result in 18 months to implement any changes.
Proposed time frame March 1, 2010

Review of the long term plan and possible modification
October of each year.

Specific changes would be approved no later than 18 months prior to the start of the proposed September changes.
March 1 of each year

[Originator/Contact: John Lee Evans, Board Member, 619.725.5550, johnleeevans@sandi.net]


Created on 06/26/2009 at 05:28 PM by Cheryl Ward. Last update on 07/08/2009 by Cheryl Ward.