Parents Protest, But Are Told School Attendance Boundaries Won’t Change
Grossmont Union High School District board member Priscilla Schreiber says process was “ramrodded” by staff.
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Nearly 100 elementary and middle school parents attended Thursday night's school board meeting in protest of new attendance boundaries in the Grossmont Union High School District, and about 20 urged the board to rescind its November decision on the new lines.
The boundaries, which take effect in the 2012-13 school year, would force many incoming students to attend a high school outside their community—and, in some cases, miles past the one they’d grown up expecting to attend.
Board member Priscilla Schreiber also voiced disappointment with how the boundary change was handled and reminded the audience that she had voted against the proposal.
She said it was clear by the lack of attendance at previous meetings that the communities affected were not notified or represented by the boundary committee, despite what she had previously been told.
She said the staff-driven committee had “ramrodded through the process.”
“It’s amazing to me that we had a staff-stacked committee ... Staff should be support to a boundary committee that is representative of parents—two from each feeders districts,” she said. “That did not happen, so they had no say in the process.”
Referring to the Helix Community Garden item that was postponed moments before until assurance could be given about the district’s legal indemnity, she added: “We’re being due diligent over a garden? But yet this is impacting thousands of families, and there’s no due diligence.”
Schools Superintendent Ralf Swenson disagreed with Schreiber, saying after the meeting that he felt a “sincere and transparent effort” was made “through a variety of different networks” to inform people of the nearly yearlong process.
Parents present got little sympathy from Eric Wilson, a boundary committee member and teacher at Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, who hailed the school’s academic attributes and told those in the audience to give the campus a chance.
“We can deliver what you need. That’s a fact,” said Wilson, one of four Monte Vista advocates to speak, including the school’s principal. “So please do not condemn Monte Vista to being guilty before being proven innocent.”
As for rescinding their decision, Swenson says plans to put the new boundaries into place are already in motion.
“I appreciate the sentiments that were expressed tonight, and I just always want to caution people anytime you’re thinking about an issue like boundaries, those lines have to be drawn somewhere,” he said. “Inevitably, someone will be happy and someone will be unhappy.”
But when asked if that meant fliers had been sent to feeder schools, he wouldn’t say directly.
“I remember meetings with the superintendents of all of East County … and asking that they share that information around the rest of the county,” Swenson said. “We didn’t give them any mailers to mail out. We just asked them to communicate with the people in their district.”
Jennifer Newmann of La Mesa referred to schools in general as the “seams of the community,” getting applause when she said “a 10-year educational plan can’t be easily changed in six months.”
She said she heard about the school boundary change—known as Model 9—over winter break, when it was too late to do anything.
Frustration over the lack of notification was a common theme among the roughly 20 parents who spoke—a fraction compared to those who signed up. Due to board policy, much of the public comment was pushed to the end of what turned into a three-hour meeting.
Two women said they called their schools’ principals and were told that the officials knew nothing of the redistricting. They asked the board why more effort wasn’t put into informing the feeder communities.
“It’s puzzling to me that I receive phone messages from both of my children’s elementary school and middle school principals on a regular, weekly basis, and I had never heard any mention that the critical issue of high school boundaries were being discussed, ” Newmann said.
She added that the contributions she’s made to her children’s schools didn’t “even rate the cost of a postage stamp” needed for an informational mailer.
The mothers didn’t get an answer from the board, though Wilson responded by saying the boundary committee wasn’t required to notify them.
“What the elementary schools’ districts do is completely irrelevant to what we do here,” he said. “We are not San Diego Unified. We are a high school district. You can’t expect La Mesa-Spring Valley to know what we’re doing here because we don’t include them in a lot of our discussions. And it’s not required that we do.”
Kathleen Hedberg equated the boundary change process to a “backroom board deal,” saying she would have appreciated being a part of the discussion to see if any alternatives were available.
Hedberg’s children used to attend Fuerte Elementary School in El Cajon before she put them into private school due to other district issues, she said.
“But I don’t know if I can afford private high school,” she said outside the meeting in El Cajon.
She said Hillsdale Middle School was in their area and used to filter students into Valhalla High School, but is now scheduled to feed into Monte Vista.
“I don’t hate [Monte Vista],” she said. “I just think this is a process we should’ve been involved in. For them to say one day you’re in this school boundary and the next day you’re in that school boundary … it changes everything.”
Lauren Gillihan
3:54 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Swenson said, "anytime you’re thinking about an issue like boundaries, those lines have to be drawn somewhere". - But do they have to be drawn seven miles away from my home when there is a wonderful school three miles away? The school in our "real" district can be reached by surface roads; the new boundaries require freeway travel. Are Swenson and the GUHSD board going to take responsibility for the young teen drivers with shiny new licenses on the freeways during rush hour?
I've been in the shoes of those parents protesting, and I've yet to see the board change their minds on any issue - they stubbornly refuse to consider the opinions of the people who voted for them. Please remember how the board members voted in the next election.
I recommend the charter schools in the area - Helix and Steele Canyon - they are both doing a fantastic job without playing politics like the GU board does.
Sierra Carrilac
9:23 am on Saturday, January 14, 2012
Lauren you are making such a great point! I will NEVER allow this school district to profit off my kids after all the things they've pulled! We're going charter or private!
On average the Alpine community loses one student per year due to accidents that occur in route to school. With exception of Pricilla, this board has been mean and heartless when it comes to the deaths on the road we endure. Here's some articles written over the last 3 months if you’re interested...
A great article by the patch! http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/grossmont-union-high-school-district-board-approves-new-boundaries.
One from E. County Mag. http://eastcountymagazine.org/node/7823.
Another from the UT http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/nov/10/grossmont-union-high-school-district-board-approve/
Media and parents are all saying the same thing "please listen to us, please keep our kids safe" but no one on the board but Pricilla will listen!
Miriam Raftery
5:04 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
It doesn't look like they considered traffic! To get to Monte Vista, which is several miles further away than Grossmont, people in our neighborhood going down the hill on Conrad off Mt. Helix have to sit through traffic jams at both an elementary and a middle school befor you even reach the freeway. They need to reevaluate to take traffic, not just distance into the equation. Nobody should have to go more than a few miles or longer than 15 minutes or so to get to school, particularly those who bought in a neighborhood to be close to a school (ie not out in a rural area knowing the nearest school was far away). I know the Boundary committee worked hard and no plan will please everyone, but they need to consider commute time and communities, too, as well as a sense of community. Kids should go to school with their neighbors - not have neighborhoods split apart this way. The break before was logical- as you moved down the hill into Casa de Oro/Spring Valley, you were into the Monte Vista District, but Mt Helix like its twin Grossmont Knoll was Grossmont territory - "the Foothillers".
Deena While
8:30 am on Saturday, January 14, 2012
Emotions run high. I've been through this a couple times. But no matter where those boundary lines are drawn lots of people will be unhappy. I'm sorry to say, but in my opinion this is the most practical approach - just draw the boundary lines and suck it up. Give your new school a chance.
I live in the boundary of El Cajon Valley High School. I've heard the rumors of what a horrible school it is - and you know what - it's all been lies. The teachers and staff are great, the campus is safe, the class sizes have been small because of the extra funding the school receives. The adult to student ratio is the best of all the schools in the district. My son is in AP/Honors classes and top 2% of the class.
My point is YOU make the school what it is.
Marcia Tolin
8:43 am on Saturday, January 14, 2012
Can the Patch post a map for it's readers so we know what the District came up with? (before and after), or a link where we can go to look at it? And, can the Patch post the reasons given for the redistrictring and the problems that it solved? That would be very helpful when trying to make sense of this for those of us who do not have children in the school sysytem but still get a vote. As a Realtor selling in La Mesa and East County, I know how important it is for parents for their move to be one whre their kids will be going to a good school, or the one they chose to move close to. I also know how important it is to live close to school and that the school is easy to get to. This is an important issue for parents of school aged children and it needs to be important to all of us who want to live in a great community.
Marcia Tolin
8:46 am on Saturday, January 14, 2012
Sorry about the typos. You know what I was meant.
Jennifer Osborn
10:20 am on Saturday, January 14, 2012
I would like to add that Helix's traditional attendance area will not be affected by these changed boundaries. Any student grades 9-12 has the opportunity to attend Helix. Families within the boundaries can start the enrollment process now, and families outside of the boundaries can submit a card indicating their interest in attending Helix. This Patch article gives a bit more information: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/helix-charter-high-school-no-changes-in-enrollment-policies Enrollment information for both in- and out-of-area families is available on the school website: www.helixcharter.net. We invite all families to find out more about Helix and wish you the best in making the best, and informed, decision about your child's education.
Jenn Osborn
Community Relations
Helix Charter High School
Ken Stone
11:51 am on Saturday, January 14, 2012
Hi, Marcia. I've added a PDF of the Boundary Committee report to this story. Previous stories about this issue can be found here: http://bit.ly/wgQPDD
Jason Lee
1:03 pm on Saturday, January 14, 2012
As a charter school, despite the Grossmont Union High School District changing its boundaries, Steele Canyon's boundaries remain the same. In other words, Steele Canyon is very happy to have your student come here. We are currently taking applications for the 2012-13 school year and would love to have you make Steele Canyon your school of choice. For all who are interested in attending Steele Canyon, please check out our website:
http://www.schscougars.org/
Also, come to our Open House on Thursday, Feb. 2nd from 6-8 P.M. or Saturday, Feb. 4th from 10 A.M. - noon.
Your welcome here at Steele Canyon!
Jason Lee
SCHS Governing Board Member
Eileen Mandell
10:24 am on Sunday, January 15, 2012
If your 8th grade student has EVER had a sibling attend Grossmont High School, then your 8th grader can also attend Grossmont High School.
Sierra Carrilac
11:46 am on Sunday, January 15, 2012
Everyone needs to know the boundary as we currently see it is a Board decision. I’ve watched this group in action and the Superintendant does the bidding of the board. This board is insensitive to say the least! They give absolutely no consideration to the fact middle class, taxpaying families, make decisions about home buying based upon the school their kids will go to.
I uprooted my entire family to allow my kids to grow up with kids they could one day go to high school with. When I explained how boards decisions are negatively impacting my family to the Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee meeting (CBOC is appointed by the board), I was told by a CBOC representative “your living in a fantasy world.” I was flabbergasted by their response! Why is it acceptable to be so callous and rude to a TAXPAYING, voter?
The board members are elected officials. If they are NOT going to represent the interest of the people, they certainly DO NOT need to be re-elected! I urge everyone not to vote strait ticket in the November elections. Please really look at each of the board members, their voting history on these issues and how they have or have not represented your interest and the interest of our community.
Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King were both Republicans. I am not seeing the same amount of integrity from the Grossmont Union School Board Republican elects.