Westminster Schools to Weigh Racial Policy

The Westminster elementary school district will consider an integration policy that could lead to busing of some students from neighborhood schools.

The policy, proposed by a committee formed by the school board, would require busing or some other form of desegregation if any one school has 25% more than the district average for an ethnic group.

22% Are Asian

For example, 22% of the district’s students are Asian. Therefore, if a school’s Asian population reached 47%, the desegregation policy would be triggered.

However, no school would be affected immediately if the policy is adopted, a school district official said Wednesday.

Ray Rodriguez, coordinator of bilingual education for the district, said the proposed policy is the result of a complaint from the state Department of Education that Westminster’s existing integration policy was too vague.

State law requires all school districts to have specific integration policies, including percentage limits set by the districts.

“The state wanted a percentage figure,” Rodriguez said.

The proposal, however, drew immediate criticism from a Vietnamese community leader who lives in Westminster.

Tony Lam, who heads the Orange County Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, said busing of students is “ridiculous.”

“It could be a discrimination law to me,” he said in an interview. “I don’t think the school district should get involved in this issue. It’s uncalled for.”

Lam also said busing of Asian students in the future could damage the school district’s relations with the Vietnamese community.

“We’ve been working in harmony so far and this could hurt it,” he said.

The Vietnamese community leader also said that many Asian students work at their parents’ businesses after school and therefore busing would have “an economic effect” on the families.

In response to the state’s complaint, the school board ordered the formation of a committee, composed of teachers, non-teaching staff, and parent representatives from each school in the district.

Hearing June 5

That committee’s proposal will be the subject of a public hearing June 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the district office, 14121 Cedarwood Ave.

In addition to the 22% Asian population, Westminster has 18% Latino students; 55% white; 2.5% American Indian or Alaskan native; 1.8% Pacific Islanders, and 1.2% black.

School officials said that only Franklin and Webber schools currently are anywhere close to the limits outlined in the new proposal.

Rodriguez said the Westminster School District’s existing policy stresses the desirability of neighborhood schools. At meetings earlier this year, committee members expressed their desire to keep children in neighborhood schools unless such a school was becoming academically unsound.

Rodriguez said some parents have expressed concern about the possibility of busing for desegregation, “but others said it is all right because we already have some students who ride buses.” He emphasized, however, that the consensus was clearly in favor of keeping students in neighborhood schools.

Times staff writer Ray Perez contributed to this story.