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Schools in search of more classrooms
Projected enrollment increase leaves officials scrambling to find a solution
By Peter Hegarty, Alameda Journal, December 21, 2007
With elementary school enrollment set to climb during the next five years, district leaders are looking at ways to find more classroom space while not undercutting instruction.
What makes finding a solution difficult, however, is that the schools likely to face the crunch -- Ruby Bridges, Otis and Edison -- already are about full.
Among the ideas being floated to address the issue are installing portables at some campuses, shifting students to other schools and changing attendance boundaries.
The school board will vote on a recommendation in February.
"Enrollment is probably the biggest issue facing the district right now," Superintendent Ardella Dailey said. "It plays into how much money we have, the quality of education we can provide, everything."
None of the possible solutions is ideal: Sending children away from their neighborhood school is never popular with parents, while the cost of installing portables at some campuses still must be worked out.
A district task force -- comprising Chief Financial Officer Luz Cazares, Otis Principal Jeff Knoth and others -- met this month for a workshop to outline options and gather feedback.
Currently, there are 246 rooms that could be used as elementary school classrooms, according to Cazares.
Of those rooms not being used as classrooms, six house computer labs, 11 are used for day care and 22 are used for after-school and other programs.
The remaining 14 rooms are used for special education. One idea that emerged during the workshop was using portables for the day care programs -- freeing up the classroom space -- along with reducing the number of students attending Alameda elementary schools who don't live in the district. (Currently, there are about 149.)
Families moving into the city's new housing, such as the Bayport development near College of Alameda, are among the reasons cited for the enrollment jump.
About 10,000 students currently attend Alameda schools.
Ironically, the projected increase comes in the wake of district leaders deciding last year to close three elementary schools in the city's West End because of declining enrollment.
Some of the students from Longfellow, Miller and Woodstock were shifted to Ruby Bridges, one of the campuses now at capacity.
The former schools currently are being used for other district programs and are not likely to reopen. But the organizers behind the Nea Community Learning Center -- a proposed charter school -- are still hoping to open at one of the sites.
Trustee Mike McMahon noted that officials need to move quickly to find at least a short-term solution to put parents at ease for the upcoming school year.
"We need to develop a policy for how we handle a situation where two or three kids cannot get into a school," Dailey said. "And we need to look at demographic trends and what classroom space is available."
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School district needs community's help on master plan
By Kirsten Vital
September 25, 2009
Like school districts across California, the Alameda Unified School District is facing a perfect storm of fiscal crises. The nationwide recession that has reduced state revenue has in turn significantly reduced state funding to the Alameda district.
In 2010-2011, we will face a $3 million deficit, and in 2011-2012, a $7 million deficit.
By 2012-2013, when funding from Measures A and H parcel taxes expires, Alameda Unified School District schools will face a devastating $16 million deficit.
Currently, negotiations are taking place that may result in the placement of a parcel tax on next year's ballot that would replace Measures A and H with a new tax structure. If approved by Alameda voters, that potential replacement tax could help prevent our district from facing such a devastating deficit.
At the request of the school district and John Beery, lead plaintiff in one of the lawsuits seeking to overturn Measure H, an advisory committee is being established to work collaboratively with the community to develop a parcel tax that will replace Measures A and H. However, it is important to understand that should any potential replacement parcel tax fail to be approved by Alameda voters, Measures A and H shall remain in effect. Our goal is to find the best possible solution for all Alamedans.
No matter what happens with a possible replacement parcel tax, Alameda Unified School District must address this fiscal crisis now.
That is why the board of education and I have embarked on a master plan process that will give the district a solid fiscal and programmatic road map to follow, rather than waiting to react to fluctuating and declining state funding. The master plan will help Alameda Unified School District control its own programmatic and fiscal future.
But I need your help to undertake this important process.
The district's master plan will be developed with the help of a public process that seeks and incorporates the input of every Alamedan.
The proposed strategies to address the challenges facing the district will be presented for public comment at a series of community workshops from September through early November at the Alameda High School cafeteria, from 6:30-9 p.m. Please take time to attend and let the board of education know your opinions. The dates and probable topics for discussion are:
- Sept. 29 — Fiscal update on program costs and possible Chipman Middle School charter conversion
- Oct. 6 — Fiscal update follow-up on furloughs, decreasing school days and class size; district office efficiency and accountability system; technology use
- Oct. 20 — First Public Education Volunteers report; secondary restructuring of schools; grade configurations; inter-district transfers; inventory of programs districtwide and/or site-specific; charter schools
- Nov. 3 — Final Public Education Volunteers report; parcel tax; maximizing fundraising efforts, including grant systems and collaboration with community partnerships
To view the presentations and proposed strategies on these topics after they are presented, visit the district's Web site at www.alameda.k12.ca.us or the Alameda Unified School District Facebook page.
I encourage everyone to participate in this incredibly important process. The feedback we receive will have a big impact on the master plan and will ensure it effectively addresses our district's challenges. Working together we can provide our children a world class education.
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Last modified: March, 2009
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