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Publicaiton date: January 28, 2000

Board OKs fourth high school

Limited-program academy would serve 950 students

by Jeb Bing

The Pleasanton Unified School District has taken its first step toward building a controversial fourth high school to ease surging student enrollment at Foothill and Amador Valley high schools.

In a 4 to 1 vote this week, school board trustees accepted a plan by Superintendent Mary Frances Callan and her management team to start the search for at least 20 acres of land for a proposed 950-student high school academy. The academy - also called a "stub" school - could be expanded to 1,200 students. It would be designed primarily as an academic center with no sports and few extracurricular activities.

The vote resolved, at least for now, efforts by several board members and the Reduce Overcrowded Campus Alliance (ROCA) to commit the district to building a third full-size, comprehensive high school. Trustees Juanita Haugen and Pat Kernan have questioned both the need and long-term financial capability of the district to pay for another high school. While school board chair Cindy McGovern and trustee Kris Weaver support class-size and campus reductions, they agreed to support the smaller facility to get the land search started.

Trustee Deborah Kleffman, who campaigned successfully in November on the issue of overcrowded schools, voted against the plan. She said a third comprehensive high school is urgently needed to handle higher enrollment, which is expected to peak at 4,600 to 5,100 students by 2015.

"We will need at least 50 acres for a comprehensive high school, and we should be out there securing that acreage now," Kleffman said. "There is enough money earmarked now, and I don't want the board to miss out on the opportunity for state assistance."

Callan disagreed. "We do not believe our district can afford three comprehensive high schools," she said. "But we do think there's enough money available to pay for a smaller school."

The board's action came after three hours of board comments and public discussion that included a number of speakers who opposed a new school.

"I'm against spending money for a new high school," said Gloria Fredette, who has two children at Amador. "We need to focus on our students, not new buildings."

Vickie Reinke said students at Amador Valley "are not concerned about 1,900 students on campus; they want more programs." Foothill has about 1,600 students.

Haugen recalled several economic downturns that forced the district to cut payroll and student activities.

"Once you buy a piece of property and tell parents that there will be a school there someday, it's very difficult to go back a few years later to explain how you can't afford it," Haugen said.

School officials said it would cost $29 million to build the high school academy on a 20-acre site, with annual operating costs estimated at $1.1 million. A full-size school would cost $55 million to build and $1.8 million a year to operate. Improvements planned for Amador and Foothill are estimated at $28 million, although some of those might be scaled back if the new school slows projected enrollment.

Buster McCurtain said the school board's decision means that staff will now move quickly to find 20 acres that would be suitable for a high school academy. Potential sites include the Bernal Avenue property owned by San Francisco, Staples Ranch and the Busch properties.

The staff also will survey students, teachers and parents to determine their interest in programs at the proposed smaller school. This will include holding public forums and research of similar schools in other districts.

At its meeting, the school board also thanked members of a task force that developed options for reducing campus crowding, including the suggestion for a high school academy.

Student members of the task force were Kaarin Melchild, Village High School; Ashley Miller, Foothill, and Jenny Wong, Amador. Teacher representatives from Amador were Bud Engel and Mary Ann Rumler, and from Foothill, Carol Bradley and Kelly Sandler. Principals and administrators on the task force included Bill Coupe Jr., Amador; Sheila Flynn, Village; Kevin Johnson, Foothill; Steve Maher, Thomas Hart Middle School; Joe Kettwig, Mohr; Jean Kaput, coordinator of Career Preparation and Apprenticeship, and Sally Rayhill, curriculum specialist.

Parents and community members included Kay Ayala, Bruce Bird, Jennifer Hosterman, Marty Inderbitzen, Tim Kleffman, Tanya Ludden, Bob Silva, Marti Starnes, Julie Testa, and Greg Thome. Representing the school board were former Trustee Chuck Eddinger and Cindy McGovern.