Questions Answered by SDUSD about School Closure

A number of e-mail messages and phone conversations have resulted in some clarity regarding aspects of school closure.  These are captured below as paraphrased conversations or as email question/answer.

Short Questions and Answers (General):
Answer from Deputy Superintendent of Business Phil Stover

• "[Does] PBMS need to close to meet SDUSD goals? " Our task has been to make recommendations regarding the closing of ten schools.  PBMS campus is one of them.  Others are now suggesting that we consider closing 20-30 schools.
• Strategy to move CP and impact on staff moving to BVT I have found out that indeed, if we move the Crown Point program and keep its CDC code, the program together with its existing teachers will move in toto.  Teachers will not be placed in excess or have to participate in a post and bid situation.
• What is the plan for busing at SDUSD?  As an aside, I just reviewed the transportation recommendations for Tuesday night.  None of the four include maintaining transportation for MBHS beyond a few years.  Certainly a number of students will find their own way to school, but a significant number will leave.  The board could direct that MBHS transportation be maintained, but I have not heard that discussed by them.
• [Brian] Many of your questions are indeed in the purview of our Board.  I do believe that transportation will be further restricted.  We will know more on Oct 25.  This will indeed have a dramatic impact on MBHS and its continued viability.  The age and condition of PBMS was a driver, in addition to a desire to provide a long term viability for MBHS.  Crown Point wants to grow.  So BVT campus provides that opportunity.  Other schools have capacity to house the BVT students.  The special ed program there can stay.  That is about it.  Nothing nefarious.  No one did any analysis of the relative value of any sites, using that data for decision making.
• my thoughts about our upcoming meetings….it seems more and more, as the district financial situation worsens that schools will be closed.  Therefore I think the most helpful information for the committee will be alternatives to existing recommendations.  Pushback in and of itself is everyone’s right, but in the absence of alternative suggestions that save the district money, my sense is that the recommendations will need to go forward.  It appears more likely that transportation will be severely reduced which, in the absence of change will devastate schools such as MBHS.  Please encourage your folks to come prepared to offer alternatives or options in addition to pushback. 

 

Short Questions and Answers (Special Education):
Answer from Executive Director Susan Martinez

•  "...I would appreciate it if you could give me a specific plan as to how you plan to relocate the Special Needs kids from BVT to the other elementary schools?  For example, how many to each school?  What support will be necessary for each school to accomadate the new students..."  At the present time there are no plans to move the special education classes from BVT.  Mr. Stover’s question to me was regarding the kinds of supports and services provided students with IEPs at BVT.  My response was, generally speaking, that any of the services could be provided at another site if necessary.

Magnet:  Why is it so important to SDUSD?  How does this impact MB Cluster and Site Closure?
Conversation with Magnet Director Carolyn Goohs

• Magnet programs are hoped to raise academic achievement and close traditional achievement gaps by attracting students that have a common interest (e.g. music, IB) from all over the district to a single site.  This commonality is expected to increase student interest and parent participation.  Data to support this hypothesis should be available, but has yet to be analyzed for MB Cluster sites.
• Magnet campus provide preferential enrollment to create a campus that reflect the economic and ethnic diversity of SDUSD.  MB Cluster in uniquely positioned to participate.  Due to its ethnic diversity, economic diversity, and moderate academic test scores, students of the MB Cluster tend to be favored in the enrollment process at local Magnet schools even though those schools are not expected to be preferential to residents.
• Magnet is a nationally recognized term that enables SDUSD to apply for grants.  This has directly impacted MBHS in two consecutive grants.  The second grant a three year, ongoing grant and expires in 2013.  It is very unlikely that MBHS will receive another grant due to this recent success.
• The plan proposed by SDUSD is to move the CP program to BVT specifically to move and maintain the Magnet program.  The SDUSD goal is that, even without specific financial support, the music program will be implemented at the former BVT site and that this will help close the achievement gap among students with traditionally low academic performance.  It is perceived that eliminating the Magnet component of CP (either at CP or BVT) will negatively impact academic performance as well as the image of SDUSD.
• MBHS is a Magnet campus with an IB program emphasis.  Current enrollment indicates that the percentage of students of hispanic ethnicity is significantly higher than the SDUSD average.  As a consequence, the Magnet department has an interest in increasing the percentage of students of asian ethnicity at this campus.  However, it is unlikely that this could be achieved by using SDUSD provided transportation.
• Transfer of the IB program to Muirlands and/or LJHS is administratively possible.  However, the impact on the grant funding is uncertain.