Parents’ Revolt Forces Delay of Proposed Merger of Two Schools

A proposed merger of two prestigious private schools has been delayed a month amid a continuing revolt by parents battling to prevent Westlake School for girls from joining with Harvard School for boys.

The 30-day delay of the final vote is the first indication that the merger might come undone. Previously, Westlake administrators and trustees had responded to parents’ opposition by saying the merger was irreversible.

The delay was announced late last month on the eve of the Westlake Board of Trustees meeting.

Although they acknowledge that they face an uphill struggle, parents are moving on several fronts against the proposal to end single-sex education at Westlake, which has existed for 85 years.

They are poised to ask the state attorney general’s office to block the merger on the grounds that it was ill-conceived and hastily announced. A draft of a letter the parents are preparing to send to Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp charges that the board has acted capriciously, without the diligence required of the board under the California Corporations Code.

The surprise announcement last month that the two schools would join and become Harvard-Westlake School in 1991 triggered an intense backlash from Westlake parents that has yet to abate, despite efforts by the board and administration to downplay its strength. Proponents of the merger argue that single-sex education is out-of-date. They also say that the merged school will attempt to continue the traditions of both schools.