Several times in the past we have reported on the closing of Valley Oak and suggested that it was not in the best interest of the students attending there. Others have pointed out that while it is true that Valley Oak has a high attendance, much of that is from out of neighborhood kids attending the school to utilize the GATE program.
However, it would seem to us that leaving the students from some of the more at-risk backgrounds in their own neighborhood school is in their best interest.
Likewise, it makes little sense to close a school that the school district just spent tremendous resources to construct. The parents in Mace Ranch have worked long and hard to get their school.
Kirk Trost who chairs the task force told the Davis Enterprise Friday that there were several factors that put Korematsu on the list:
“(Korematsu) is a new facility, which potentially gives the school board greater options with respect to re-use in the future,” he said. “And it would result in less impact on students,” since Korematsu currently serves only grades K-1. Closing Valley Oak would result in more children being moved to a different campus.
“That’s not to advocate (for that option),” Trost said. “But these were issues I’ve heard people discuss as to why we might include Korematsu as a school for consideration for closure.”
It is the view of the People’s Vanguard of Davis that these options will serve to mobilize each neighborhood against the other neighborhood’s school. If that happens, someone invariably stands to lose this battle. The better option at this point would be for both neighborhood schools to band together and push for the nine school option. Neighborhood schools should be the goal of the district. Moreover, we recommend that the parents in other neighborhoods join together, today it may be Korematsu and Valley Oak, soon it may be your neighborhood school.
—Doug Paul Davis reporting
The situation seems to be due to two issues: (1) financial (2) dwindling enrolllment
So given the inability to best use the facilities, how can the District make this work when the expense to run a 9 school option costs $400,000 (as stated in the paper the other day)?
No one wants to see their neighborhood school shut down. But if we do not have the numbers to justify the expense, and if we have a shortage of funds, what can the District do? Seems like something is going to have to give.
The situation seems to be due to two issues: (1) financial (2) dwindling enrolllment
So given the inability to best use the facilities, how can the District make this work when the expense to run a 9 school option costs $400,000 (as stated in the paper the other day)?
No one wants to see their neighborhood school shut down. But if we do not have the numbers to justify the expense, and if we have a shortage of funds, what can the District do? Seems like something is going to have to give.
The situation seems to be due to two issues: (1) financial (2) dwindling enrolllment
So given the inability to best use the facilities, how can the District make this work when the expense to run a 9 school option costs $400,000 (as stated in the paper the other day)?
No one wants to see their neighborhood school shut down. But if we do not have the numbers to justify the expense, and if we have a shortage of funds, what can the District do? Seems like something is going to have to give.
The situation seems to be due to two issues: (1) financial (2) dwindling enrolllment
So given the inability to best use the facilities, how can the District make this work when the expense to run a 9 school option costs $400,000 (as stated in the paper the other day)?
No one wants to see their neighborhood school shut down. But if we do not have the numbers to justify the expense, and if we have a shortage of funds, what can the District do? Seems like something is going to have to give.
Let’s assume this is merely financial decision. The $400,000 is an interesting figure, but where does it come from?
You would have to assume that the number of teacher’s would be roughly constant. In fact, the report suggests that each school would have fewer teachers in a nine school option.
Second, the district still owns and maintains the property regardless of its use. So that’s a second constant.
So what would be additional? Administration and janitor and food service staff. All that costs $400,000 and there is no way to look to reduce costs in order to keep the school open.
I agree with whomever suggested we appoint a task force to figure out how to keep all schools open, I think the advantages of neighborhood schools outweighs the disadvantages. I’m willing to pay an additional $10 per year tax in order to keep all of the elementary schools open.
Let’s assume this is merely financial decision. The $400,000 is an interesting figure, but where does it come from?
You would have to assume that the number of teacher’s would be roughly constant. In fact, the report suggests that each school would have fewer teachers in a nine school option.
Second, the district still owns and maintains the property regardless of its use. So that’s a second constant.
So what would be additional? Administration and janitor and food service staff. All that costs $400,000 and there is no way to look to reduce costs in order to keep the school open.
I agree with whomever suggested we appoint a task force to figure out how to keep all schools open, I think the advantages of neighborhood schools outweighs the disadvantages. I’m willing to pay an additional $10 per year tax in order to keep all of the elementary schools open.
Let’s assume this is merely financial decision. The $400,000 is an interesting figure, but where does it come from?
You would have to assume that the number of teacher’s would be roughly constant. In fact, the report suggests that each school would have fewer teachers in a nine school option.
Second, the district still owns and maintains the property regardless of its use. So that’s a second constant.
So what would be additional? Administration and janitor and food service staff. All that costs $400,000 and there is no way to look to reduce costs in order to keep the school open.
I agree with whomever suggested we appoint a task force to figure out how to keep all schools open, I think the advantages of neighborhood schools outweighs the disadvantages. I’m willing to pay an additional $10 per year tax in order to keep all of the elementary schools open.
Let’s assume this is merely financial decision. The $400,000 is an interesting figure, but where does it come from?
You would have to assume that the number of teacher’s would be roughly constant. In fact, the report suggests that each school would have fewer teachers in a nine school option.
Second, the district still owns and maintains the property regardless of its use. So that’s a second constant.
So what would be additional? Administration and janitor and food service staff. All that costs $400,000 and there is no way to look to reduce costs in order to keep the school open.
I agree with whomever suggested we appoint a task force to figure out how to keep all schools open, I think the advantages of neighborhood schools outweighs the disadvantages. I’m willing to pay an additional $10 per year tax in order to keep all of the elementary schools open.
A resolution that would impact all the elementary school students in Davis rather than solely Valley Oak makes the most sense… minor redrawing of neighborhood school attendance lines to balance attendance and adjusting administrative costs to cover keeping Valley Oak open would reflect the political ethos of Davis.. namely, what is fair and just.
A resolution that would impact all the elementary school students in Davis rather than solely Valley Oak makes the most sense… minor redrawing of neighborhood school attendance lines to balance attendance and adjusting administrative costs to cover keeping Valley Oak open would reflect the political ethos of Davis.. namely, what is fair and just.
A resolution that would impact all the elementary school students in Davis rather than solely Valley Oak makes the most sense… minor redrawing of neighborhood school attendance lines to balance attendance and adjusting administrative costs to cover keeping Valley Oak open would reflect the political ethos of Davis.. namely, what is fair and just.
A resolution that would impact all the elementary school students in Davis rather than solely Valley Oak makes the most sense… minor redrawing of neighborhood school attendance lines to balance attendance and adjusting administrative costs to cover keeping Valley Oak open would reflect the political ethos of Davis.. namely, what is fair and just.
No one seems to address the issue that a 9 school option with Korematsu open strongly impacts Valley Oak in a negative way. Removing Mace Ranch kids from Valley Oak pulls virtually all the upper-socioeconomic-status students out of the neighborhood program. Many return as GATE attendees but they’re not in the classroom with the students in the neighborhood program.
Why would the school district want to effectively create a low-income, segregated school? That’s what the 9 school option does, unless boundaries are redrawn. Education research shows that’s bad for the students who attend that school.
The viewpoint that we should keep the school open at any cost doesn’t seem to take this fact into consideration at all.
No one seems to address the issue that a 9 school option with Korematsu open strongly impacts Valley Oak in a negative way. Removing Mace Ranch kids from Valley Oak pulls virtually all the upper-socioeconomic-status students out of the neighborhood program. Many return as GATE attendees but they’re not in the classroom with the students in the neighborhood program.
Why would the school district want to effectively create a low-income, segregated school? That’s what the 9 school option does, unless boundaries are redrawn. Education research shows that’s bad for the students who attend that school.
The viewpoint that we should keep the school open at any cost doesn’t seem to take this fact into consideration at all.
No one seems to address the issue that a 9 school option with Korematsu open strongly impacts Valley Oak in a negative way. Removing Mace Ranch kids from Valley Oak pulls virtually all the upper-socioeconomic-status students out of the neighborhood program. Many return as GATE attendees but they’re not in the classroom with the students in the neighborhood program.
Why would the school district want to effectively create a low-income, segregated school? That’s what the 9 school option does, unless boundaries are redrawn. Education research shows that’s bad for the students who attend that school.
The viewpoint that we should keep the school open at any cost doesn’t seem to take this fact into consideration at all.
No one seems to address the issue that a 9 school option with Korematsu open strongly impacts Valley Oak in a negative way. Removing Mace Ranch kids from Valley Oak pulls virtually all the upper-socioeconomic-status students out of the neighborhood program. Many return as GATE attendees but they’re not in the classroom with the students in the neighborhood program.
Why would the school district want to effectively create a low-income, segregated school? That’s what the 9 school option does, unless boundaries are redrawn. Education research shows that’s bad for the students who attend that school.
The viewpoint that we should keep the school open at any cost doesn’t seem to take this fact into consideration at all.
The 9-school option is probably the worst one for the neighborhood VO kids, but that is likely what the board will do since they won’t want to take the heat for closing a school.
Keep in mind, the board also won’t want to take the heat for rezoning all the boundaries, either, so the VO scenario described by the anonymous poster above is the most likely outcome.
This isn’t about neighborhoods or local politics or the overstated transportation problems (a close look at the actual data shows that very few “neighborhood” VO kids would have to go far to a different campus), it’s about producing the best possible educational outcomes for the kids. I don’t think the outcome many are fighting for here does the kids any favors.
I think people may need to understand that for better or worse, the VO they are fighting for is not the same one they had.
The 9-school option is probably the worst one for the neighborhood VO kids, but that is likely what the board will do since they won’t want to take the heat for closing a school.
Keep in mind, the board also won’t want to take the heat for rezoning all the boundaries, either, so the VO scenario described by the anonymous poster above is the most likely outcome.
This isn’t about neighborhoods or local politics or the overstated transportation problems (a close look at the actual data shows that very few “neighborhood” VO kids would have to go far to a different campus), it’s about producing the best possible educational outcomes for the kids. I don’t think the outcome many are fighting for here does the kids any favors.
I think people may need to understand that for better or worse, the VO they are fighting for is not the same one they had.
The 9-school option is probably the worst one for the neighborhood VO kids, but that is likely what the board will do since they won’t want to take the heat for closing a school.
Keep in mind, the board also won’t want to take the heat for rezoning all the boundaries, either, so the VO scenario described by the anonymous poster above is the most likely outcome.
This isn’t about neighborhoods or local politics or the overstated transportation problems (a close look at the actual data shows that very few “neighborhood” VO kids would have to go far to a different campus), it’s about producing the best possible educational outcomes for the kids. I don’t think the outcome many are fighting for here does the kids any favors.
I think people may need to understand that for better or worse, the VO they are fighting for is not the same one they had.
The 9-school option is probably the worst one for the neighborhood VO kids, but that is likely what the board will do since they won’t want to take the heat for closing a school.
Keep in mind, the board also won’t want to take the heat for rezoning all the boundaries, either, so the VO scenario described by the anonymous poster above is the most likely outcome.
This isn’t about neighborhoods or local politics or the overstated transportation problems (a close look at the actual data shows that very few “neighborhood” VO kids would have to go far to a different campus), it’s about producing the best possible educational outcomes for the kids. I don’t think the outcome many are fighting for here does the kids any favors.
I think people may need to understand that for better or worse, the VO they are fighting for is not the same one they had.