It's no surprise; parents are angry and upset over school closures

As expected, parents are up in arms over school closures. Two of Conejo Valley Unified School District's elementary schools are expected to close in the fall of 2009, and eight schools are among the candidates.

Schools on the surprisingly long list are Maple, Aspen, University, Ladera, Wildwood, Meadows, Park Oaks and Weathersfield. The district had hoped no more than four or five schools would make the list, but it didn't work out that way.

People are shocked that eight schools made the preliminary list. Many parents naturally assumed that their school wouldn't be a candidate for closure, and we all know about the word "assume."

Deciding which schools to close hasn't been easy, and it won't get easier.

The quicker the list is cut in half, the better.

The district has tried to be fair, but don't tell that to angry parents. Some of them will call for the district to go back and start over. Others will try to convince the school board and administrators that we don't need to close any schools. The process is viewed by critics as a conspiracy or as fatally flawed.

Worst of all, some people will try to use school closures as a political issue in this fall's school board election.

Does anyone actually believe the district would be closing schools unless it was absolutely necessary? CVUSD is doing what it must do. Other school districts in California will also be closing schools, and for the same reason: declining enrollment.

Some of them may wait too long and put themselves on the verge of bankruptcy. Our district is doing what it's compelled to do to survive. It's not the first time CVUSD was forced to close schools, and it may happen again.

None of this matters, of course, if your favorite school is one of the two that will close.

Logic doesn't matter when emotion is paramount.