Second set of school-closure criteria approved
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com

A second group of criteria that will help determine what two Conejo Valley Unified elementary schools with close in the fall of 2009 has been approved.

With all the criteria now established, the first group of schools recommended for closure should be ready for presentation Jan. 15, according to Deputy Superintendent Jeff Baarstad.

All schools are currently being scored blindly based on the primary criteria, which include the number of resident students that will be displaced, the distance the displaced students will have to travel, the ability of adjacent schools to absorb displaced students and the relative quality of the schools' facilities.

This should identify a small group of schools that stand out as good candidates for closure. The schools, which will be identified only by a letter, will be presented to the board before the secondary criteria are applied.

The next group of criteria include: the number of nonresident students displaced, the number of Special Day Class (SDC) classrooms displaced, the impact on diverse student distribution, the impact on additional major highways crossed, the need for additional bus transportation and the impact on elementary schools feeding into more than one middle school.

Two women with children who attend Manzanita spoke against weighing diversity and SDC classes alongside schoolchoice students.

"Being poor and handicapped is not a choice," said Lilly Dollenmayer. "It seems that should be weighed more heavily than a parent who just wants to have their kids play on a different playground."

Jo-Anne Guerriere agreed.

"Children from disadvantaged homes need to be considered more heavily," she said.

But Baarstad said their recommendation was to weigh the six secondary criteria equally.

"It's just too subjective," he said.

The board approved the criteria unanimously.