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School Board Moves Toward Consolidation Restructuring of Hayward District Would Not Happen Before Fall 2007

Posted on: Saturday, 19 November 2005, 18:00 CST

By Katy Murphy, STAFF WRITER

HAYWARD -- The Hayward school board approved ideal school size ranges for elementary, middle and high schools last week, marking a step in the district's long-range plan to renovate and consolidate the aging buildings.

While the district has made no secret about the need for school closures -- or "consolidation," as some prefer to call it -- board members and staff say such a move could not happen before the fall of 2007, with the exception of the new Stonebrae school slated to open next fall. The restructuring also will likely hinge on millions of dollars leveraged from a future bond measure.

"This is the very first baby step toward determining how we could restructure the district," Board President Sarah Gonzales said on Friday, adding that the sizes reflect a balance between financial efficiency and educational needs.

Based on late October enrollment data provided by the school district's business office, all but one of Hayward's 24 elementary schools fell outside of the enrollment range recommended by the Hayward Unified Schools Design Team: 650 to 750 students, not including those in special education programs. Most of them -- except for Cherryland, Longwood and Ruus -- are too small under the new criteria.

Barry Schimmel, associate superintendent of business services for Hayward public schools, said the district might only need to operate 18 or 19 elementary schools and four middle schools,based on current enrollment and the new size ranges (750-900 students per middle school; 2,000-2,200 students per high school). The district's three high schools are expected to stay open.

Schimmel and Gonzales said it is likely that teachers and students at Highland Elementary -- which has a regular enrollment of only 373 -- will move next fall into the new school in the Stonebrae development, which would otherwise house only about 200 children.

District officials say they realize community input and support is critical as the sensitive and sometimes volatile subject of neighborhood schools is broached.

They also know that for residents to rally around a bond measure, they will have to understand exactly how the funds would be used and feel like their thoughts and ideas were heard.

For those reasons, new superintendent Dale Vigil and Schimmel have begun to hold meetings at schools to explain the rationale behind future consolidation and how it relates to sorely needed school upgrades and financial stability.

Michael Jackson, whose 8-year-old son goes to the year-round East Avenue Elementary School, was one of about 70 parents to attend a meeting there in mid-October.

East Avenue, one of the highest performing schools in the district, is nearly 250 shy of reaching the district's optimal size range.

At the meeting, Jackson said, parents expressed concerns about the plan, including the fact that a school's performance will not be considered when the district decides which schools to consolidate.

"I think the knee-jerk reaction is to be against it, because it's change," he said. "Especially if a school's doing well, it's an, 'If it's not broke, don't fix it,' kind of thing."

Jackson thinks the 650-750 range sounds too big for an elementary school, but he is drawn -- as a parent and a homeowner -- to the vision of better libraries and classrooms.

While his son could be at least 18 by the time the plan is completed, he said he still has a reason to support school modernization: housing prices.

"I like it here. I kind of want to stay," he said.

Eldridge Elementary Principal Nancy Eaton said research shows that 600 is the ideal size for an elementary school. Larger schools have more teachers, more services and greater instructional flexibility, she said.

Eaton would know: When she came to Eldridge about nine years ago, it had less than 200 students and was slated for closure. "It was too small to have a full-time custodian," she said.

Her school has since more than doubled in size -- partly because of its National Blue Ribbon recognition -- and, she said, school services have improved. Eaton said she believed her staff would be receptive to the idea of further expansion on the school's 10-acre site.

"They're very open to change," she said, "and that's what our business is all about."

Katy Murphy covers education in Hayward, Castro Valley, San Leandro and San Lorenzo. Call her at (510) 293-2479 or E-mail kmurphy@dailyreviewonline.com.

Source: Oakland Tribune

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