Saratoga News

Original district boundaries have been reduced to three scenarios

Public meeting on school redistricting set for Aug. 27

Drastic changes possible

By Michelle Alaimo

The Santa Clara County Committee on School District Organization plans to announce three possible reorganization scenarios when the committee holds its next public meeting Aug. 27 at 6 p.m., at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino.

The three scenarios are the latest options, reduced from the original six announced in May. In June, the committee held a public forum attended by some 400 community members--many of them representing the Los Gatos Union School District--who voiced their concerns about the scenarios. The three new scenarios are as follows:

* Maintain the current organization; address instances of extreme geographic isolation through territory transfers. This includes identifying situations of extreme geographic isolation and a study of the territory in Santa Cruz County adjacent to the Lakeside Joint and the Loma Prieta Joint Union school districts.

* Modify the boundaries of the school districts to conform to city boundaries. Monte Sereno would be placed entirely in the Los Gatos School District. This scenario includes reorganizing the remainder of Campbell Union High School District into three unified school districts.

* Combine of the first two scenarios; instances of extreme geographic isolation through territory transfers would be addressed and Campbell Union High School District would be reorganized into three unified school districts.

Gone from the newly updated list is the most unpopular option, which called for one giant school district. Larry Shirey, senior research analyst for the Santa Clara County Office of Education, said all the scenarios were developed primarily from public input gathered since the study began.

Bert Pearlman, superintendent of the Los Gatos Union School District, said, however, he is still concerned about the scenarios. He argues that there is not enough room in the school district right now to accommodate all the new students the second scenario would bring. "There's no place to go other than the play fields," he added.

If a transfer were to occur--for example, if Blue Hills Elementary School were moved out of Cupertino Union School District and into the Saratoga Union School District--SUSD would gain Blue Hills Elementary School. Shirey said there is currently legislation pending, Senate Bill 1258, in which a district which loses a school would receive compensation.

Union School District Superintendent Phil Quon said, "We will defend [against] any property transfer out of our district." Quon's district has one public school within the city limits of Los Gatos, which his district would lose if the second scenario were chosen. Quon said he is in favor of the first scenario, in which borders would remain as they are.

The options are part of the committee's ongoing study of school district reorganization that began in February. The study is expected to end in December. The committee will then send a final recommendation, partly based on public input, to the state Board of Education. If the board approves the recommendation, then it goes before the voters. The earliest any recommendation could take effect, pending voter approval, would be July 1, 2000. Just who would be allowed to vote--only those directly affected or entire school districts--will be decided at a later date by the state board.

The committee is tentatively planning another public forum for November.

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