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Despite assurances by organizers that their effort to create a South Valley school district is not an effort to separate Almaden and Blossom Valley campuses from their downtown San Jose counterparts, some who attended a Jan. 24 "town hall" meeting remained unconvinced.
"Our new district would almost exactly match the ethnic makeup of the county," said Chris Brubaker, father of two Randol Elementary School students and head of the secessionist movement. "I don't know how you could label us segregationists, at least from an ethnicity standpoint. We're committed to diversity, and we believe our new district will be diverse."
The proposed district would include the 13 southernmost schools in the San Jose Unified School District. Enrollment at these schools totals about 9,000 students.
The movement to separate some schools from the SJUSD picked up steam this month after district officials recommended closing Randol and Cory elementary schools to help balance a projected $9 million to $11 million shortfall for the 200506 school year. The SJUSD board is set to vote on the recommendation on Feb. 3.
About 100 parents, mainly of Randol students, are actively working to create a new district. To explain their mission, organizers set open meetings for Jan. 24 and 27 and invited parents, teachers and staff from the Almaden Valley's public schools, all of which would be included in the new district.
The Jan. 24 meeting drew parents from Leland High School, Bret Harte Middle School and Simonds, Graystone, Williams and Los Alamitos elementary schools. One man whose children attend Graystone and Bret Harte wasn't satisfied with Brubaker's assurances that the proposed school district would maintain the diversity of the SJUSD.
"A lot of this smacks of elitism and racism," he told Brubaker. "I'm part of the bigger community of San Jose, and so are my kids."
Brubaker said the student body of the proposed district would be 46.7 percent Caucasian, 26.7 percent Asian and 19.7 percent Hispanic.
One of the reasons behind his group's desire to secede is the SJUSD's inability in recent years to get a parcel tax passed. The district's attempt to pass a $95-per-parcel tax in 2002 failed by a wide margin, Brubaker said.
"It gets voted down downtown," he added. "We need to find creative ways to raise funds locally. If the district continues to try to pass what's considered a high parcel tax for downtown, they'll never be successful."
Unless voters pass a parcel tax in March 2006, the SJUSD plans to cut sixth-period classes at its middle schools to help close a projected $11-$13 million budget gap in 200607 school year.
To be successful in their efforts, South Valley school district proponents must gather about 9,000 valid signatures before they can present their petition to the Santa Clara County Committee on School District Organization. More than 2,400 have signed the petition thus far.
Once the petition is presented, Brubaker said, the county is compelled to produce a feasibility study to show how the old and new districts would be affected by the split. The county board of education would then hold public hearings before voting on the issue.
"The loser can appeal to the state Board of Education," Brubaker said. "The state is facing a one-year backlog [of appeals], so it would take 16 to 18 months to complete."
If the state approves the plan, it will go before San Jose voters.
SJUSD spokeswoman Karen Fuqua told the Almaden Resident that district officials are confident that public schools in the south valley wouldn't meet state or county criteria for forming a new district.
"We feel it's highly unlikely that it'd be able to happen," Fuqua said. "Ethnically and socioeconomically, it's not feasible."
At the meeting, Brubaker begged to differ.
"This does succeed every once in awhile," he said. "It's not common, but it's not uncommon, either."
While Brubaker emphasized that the secession movement began before the district recommended Randol for closure, he said proponents are angered by the fact that the SJUSD didn't take into account the school's academic performance, programs or level of parental involvement.
"We think these are the three most important things" about a school, Brubaker said, adding that the new district would focus on these elements.
The district says it is pursuing school closures in the wake of declining enrollment which has led to a decrease in state funding. By closing Randol and Cory elementary schools and Steinbeck Middle School, district administrators expect to save an estimated $1.9 million per year. Last year the district closed three elementary schools for a savings of $1.5 million per year.
The SJUSD is anticipating a $40.9 million cumulative budget gap over the next four years.
Brubaker maintained that there is a correlation between underperforming schools and declining enrollment. He pointed to Anne Darling Elementary School, which has the lowest Academic Performing Index scores in the SJUSD. Enrollment there has declined by 17 percent in recent years, he said. The API measures school performance on standardized test.
"This school wasn't even considered for closure," Brubaker added.
The SJUSD board is set to vote on the school closure issue on Feb. 3. Board meetings are held at 6:30pm at the SJUSD offices, 855 Lenzen Ave. For updates or additional information, visit www.sjusd.k12.ca.us or call 408.535.6000.
For more information on the proposed South Valley district, visit www.southvalleyschools.tripod.com.
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