Dealing With Saddleback’s Crisis in Classroom Space

A critical situation now exists in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District with respect to classroom space.

Projections indicate that we do not and will not have adequate permanent facilities for secondary students (grades six through 12), or for elementary students (grades kindergarten through six).

The district does not now have, nor will have in the foreseeable future, the finances to provide permanent facilities for students coming into the district from new homes or housing developments. Since 1978, local voters no longer have a right to vote for bond issues to build schools.

As a result of this critical situation, the district Board of Education approved a resolution that states our intent not to enter into any agreement with developers where only temporary facilities (portable classrooms) would be provided for the duration of a student’s educational experience. We have had temporary facilities for more than five years. We feel that beyond five years we should be talking about permanent facilities.

It is important that we make it clear that we are not taking an anti-growth position. However, future growth in the district in terms of development must go hand-in-hand with the development of permanent school facilities to house the students that will be generated from development.

The board believes that parents in our district insist that we not impair the quality of education being offered to our students in order to accommodate new growth.

Almost all of our schools are filled to capacity, while most others exceed permanent capacity, necessitating the use of portable classrooms. Future development within the district would impact even further already overcrowded conditions.

If the financial means for building additional schools in newly developed areas are not forthcoming, the district’s choices would be to: eliminate excellent programs, convert to double sessions, place large numbers of additional temporary classrooms on already crowded school sites or convert some elementary schools to a year-round schedule.

Our district surveyed parents on prior occasions, and it was clear that these alternatives would not be preferred by the majority. It is this board’s desire to seek a financial solution to providing permanent school facilities by working in a collaborative manner with developers, the county Board of Supervisors, our legislators and the governor. Parental support is needed and encouraged.

RAGHU P. MATHUR,

President

Saddleback Valley

Unified School District

Board of Education