Downsizing our School District

By Jim B. Logsdon

What Needs to be Done

Because of the very high price of housing in Santa Cruz few people with families can afford to live here. This has caused a rapid decline in student enrollment throughout our City Schools. We've lost more than 1,500 students in the past six years.

In order for the City Schools to remain financially solvent we must come up with an additional $500,000 this school year and approximately $2,000,000 by 2003-2004. All school districts must reserve a minimum 3% reserve. We presently are at a 2% reserve.

We promised our community that if they voted for and passed the parcel tax,Measures C & D, last April, we would downsize our school district. We need to keep our promise now. Waiting will only exacerbate the problem.

If elected, I would seek widespread parent and community participation in deciding criteria to be used in closing at least one and perhaps two of our elementary schools by next year. I would also use the same criteria in re-configuring our junior high schools into middle schools, 6,7, and 8 grades. This would enable the district to rent out the district office and perhaps one of the elementary schools to both reduce our debt load and provide additional income. One of the elementary schools could be converted into a district office.

This will not be an easy decision. No parent wants to see their neighborhood school closed. However, it is a hard decision that needs to be made and made now. We need only to look at what has happened to the Monterey Unified School District to see the results of what putting off closing schools decisions results in. The Monterey Schools are now being directed by state appointed officials.