School Sites Are ‘Grueling Process’

The Long Beach section on Sunday, March 15, exposed just how uninformed our public representatives can be. In an ironic contrast seen on page one, the column to the left told of the “grueling process of finding an acceptable site” for the construction of new schools. “It almost always means having to displace either property owners, businesses or both, since there is little vacant land.” And we read on to learn that “school enrollment . . . is booming.”

Now direct your attention to the column to the right. ABC Unified School District is considering the sale of the Whitney High School campus for residential development, moving the high school to the Haskell Junior High site. Moving what has recently been chosen as one of the nation’s top high schools (currently a finalist in the National Secondary Recognition Program) by displacing Haskell students, raises certain questions:

(1) Where will the junior high school students go when Haskell is closed? (2) Since Haskell does not have the 1,200 parking spaces required for a high school, which homes are you going to condemn for a parking lot? (3) Haskell is not equipped to house a high school (i.e., no gymnasium); how much are you going to spend to bring it up to the standards of the other high schools in the district? (4) Once the residential development is complete, will the homes be sold only to childless couples, or will ABC’s enrollment increase, thus necessitating increased schools or school construction? Now, which new homes or businesses are you going to condemn?

Supt. Moffett, this district hired you because you were reputed to be an educated man. Start reading The Times, Sir, and let’s make some intelligent, informed, recommendations!

--MARILOU C. McSHERRY

Lakewood