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District finalizing plans for renovation inconveniences
By Jason Baker
Saratoga Union School District officials are in the final planning stages for busing Saratoga Elementary School students and Redwood Middle School sixth-graders to Strawberry Park School in San Jose next year.
Superintendent Mary Gardner said administrators still are finalizing some of the transportation logistics, like locations for bus pick-ups and drop-offs. But the plans are definitely moving forward, she said.
About 55 Saratoga parents met with district officials last week for information on bus schedules and forms needed to get students squared away. The district will continue to register students during the summer, Gardner said. All families in the district will be mailed information about transportation plans, she added.
The SUSD board of trustees approved the school move at its Jan. 26 meeting--with the provision that the district will provide transportation. Gardner said Moreland School District will provide the busing service for Saratoga students at an undetermined cost to the district. Administrators will discuss specific cost details during the next regular meeting.
The busing decision came after a recommendation from Gardner and Redwood administrators, after the group decided the move would be best for students based on concerns about student safety and congestion at Redwood during construction.
The school is scheduled to begin 15 months of heavy construction this June.
Because there will be three major construction sites around the school, Redwood principal Christopher Farmer said it would be better for sixth-graders to move. He described Strawberry Park school as a safe, secure and quieter environment.
To keep the current sixth-grade program at Redwood, officials would have to add 15 portable buildings, 12 of which would line the front of the school grounds. The school would also be faced with a growing enrollment of two more sixth-grade classes while dealing with a significant cut in space during construction.
While construction is ongoing, students will meet at a central spot and then be bused to the school. For many students, the move will be their first regular bus riding experience, outside of field trips. A monitor will be placed on each bus to aid in supervision.
The move to Strawberry Park will not affect sixth-grade teachers, who will make the move with their students. To further help build a sense of sixth-grade unity, students will be placed in a group of portable classrooms that are close together and clearly identifiable, officials said.
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Saratoga, California Since 1975
