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School Costs Questioned: A District Resident Says the District Can't Afford to Open a High School in Marina Now

Posted on: Monday, 9 January 2006, 09:00 CST

By Clarissa Aljentera, The Monterey County Herald, Calif.

Jan. 9--With a matter of weeks left before the long-anticipated vote for a high school in Marina, one Monterey resident says the district is rushing into it.

Rick Heuer mailed an 11-page report to Monterey Peninsula Unified School District board members last week, exploring several options for the proposed high school and asking where the district is going to get the money to keep the school going once it is built.

"We can't afford it," said Heuer, who has lived in the district for more than 20 years, and whose children attend private school. "We can't afford experiments."

The board is expected to hear to a presentation on the high school tonight at its regular meeting.

Once a small, comprehensive high school is approved, the district will begin recruiting students. The plan calls for about 300 freshmen and sophomores to attend the school when it opens in August, if all goes as scheduled. The new curriculum is expected to take a strong approach to academics and prepare students for the California State University or University of California system, administrators said.

The estimated cost for the high school is $536,264, said a staff report by Chief Business Officer Tom Woodruff.

The cost to the district will be determined by the number of new students attending the school who aren't already attending a district school.

Schools get money from the state based on enrollment, so for the district to get more money, it has to attract new students.

If the district doesn't find enough new students, it will have to take money from the general fund to cover the costs, Woodruff said.

Woodruff said the financial outlook for the district looks positive for 2006-2007 with the state's commitment to K-12 education and new discretionary money from the state set aside for new schools.

In his staff report, Woodruff said the budget for 2006-2007 hasn't been created but the district is anticipating more money to come in.

Interim Superintendent John Lamb said the district could seek new students from the International School in Monterey, the San Benancio Canyon area and nearby cities. The International School of Monterey is a K-8 charter school. Students in the San Benancio Canyon Area are currently attending schools in the Salinas Union High School District.

As new students enter the district, the new money will help offset the impact to the district, Lamb said.

Lamb intends to make presentations during the Monterey County Board of Supervisors meetings to help find students.

There are currently 868 high school students from Marina attending either Monterey, Seaside or Central Coast high schools.

Heuer is worried once the new homes in Marina are built in the next few years there won't be enough young families buying the homes to fill the schools. There are 6,000 to 7,000 homes planned for the Marina area in the next few years.

"This is a very expensive place to live for those who can afford it," he said.

He wants the district to wait until the houses are full or at least built before schools are decided on.

Woodruff said although the district won't know for sure how many students will come from the new houses, it is best to have a school built to accommodate what could be an influx of students.

"We are going to get some kids," he said.

Heuer's report also cited a $158 million bond that failed to pass in 2002 as one of the main reasons voters in Marina don't want a high school there. The bond included about $40 million for a Marina High School.

Lamb said the bond was intended to help modernize district schools and not just build a high school.

"I don't think because the bond wasn't approved people don't want Marina High School," Lamb said. "It isn't logical."

For the district to build a comprehensive high school in the future, an attendance boundary has to be established, Lamb said. With the boundary set, the district can then apply for money from the state to help construct the larger new school. There is a potential for $50 million in state funding to help construct new schools in the area if the boundaries are established, administrators said.

The proposed site for the initial small high school is on Rendova Road, now home to Central Coast High School. There is about 20 acres and 24 classrooms. Central Coast High School would then move to another location, but administrators are unsure where.

A site on Reservation Road is being considered for a permanent site to accommodate 1,600 students and is estimated at $80 million.

Board President Carlos Noriega, who represents Trustee Area 1. which includes Marina, is confident the high school will pass.

"As far as I'm concerned we're behind the 8-ball not in front of it," said Noriega on Thursday. "As far as I'm concerned it is going to happen."

The board is expected to vote on the issue on Jan. 23.

herald.com.

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If you go -- The MPUSD board meets at 7 p.m. today at the Instructional Materials Center at 540 Canyon Del Rey Blvd.

Clarissa Aljentera can be reached at 648-1171 or claljentera@monterey

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Monterey County Herald, Calif.

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Source: The Monterey County Herald (Monterey, Calif.)

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