Parents Protest Decision in Las Virgenes Schools : Board Sticks by Bus for Sumac Graduates

Despite calls from Agoura Hills parents for the Las Virgenes School Board to rescind the decision, trustees Tuesday night stuck by their plan to bus some Sumac Elementary School graduates up to six miles to ease crowding.

More than 120 people crowded into the small board room to vent their anger over a plan that calls for busing about 50 Sumac graduates--about 50 children who live east of Kanan Road--to A. E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas.

The parents told board members they have hired an attorney, initiated their own study of enrollment trends and contacted developers about the possibility of dedicating land to the school district for new schools.

“We’re going to take every legal step to fight this,” said Steve Lafflam, a Sumac parent. “We are not going to let this school board split Agoura.”

The parents complained that sending Sumac graduates to Wright after fifth grade will disrupt their children’s friendships in Agoura Hills neighborhoods. They said they moved to the suburban community specifically for its neighborhood schools.

Fears About Bus Trip

They also said they fear that the 5 1/2- to 6-mile bus trip along the Ventura Freeway to and from the school will be dangerous.

Parents added that they will speak at every board meeting until the redistricting plan is repealed. But, after more than an hour of discussion, the board was unanimously adamant in backing the redistricting decision, which takes effect next school year.

“I don’t feel the busing is going to educationally affect the students,” said board member Ron Jauch.

Added Betty DeSantis, board president: “We have 12 school facilities in this district. We have to use all those facilities before we can justify building a new school. Building a school right now, in my opinion, is not a good, wise use of our money.”

Shifting attendance boundary lines so Sumac students living east of Kanan Road will attend Wright instead of Lindero Canyon Middle School was one of three remedies approved by the board earlier this month to ease crowding.

At that time, the board also directed district staff to develop a voluntary year-round school program.

The year-round program would be implemented only if enough youngsters chose that option, according to Supt. Albert Marley.

The board also approved adding two portable classrooms to the campus of Willow Elementary School in Agoura. Willow, along with Sumac and Yerba Buena elementary schools, are operating at capacity. Yerba Buena and Lindero Canyon share a single campus.

This fall, 3,206 elementary students enrolled in Las Virgenes district schools. Last year there were 2,807 elementary students. Total school enrollment is 8,269, up from 7,400 in the mid-1970s.