Report Backs Two School Districts for Beach Cities

In a move that accelerates the push toward reorganizing the financially strapped South Bay Union High School District, a consultant has recommended that the district be replaced by two beach city school districts.

The recommendation, to allow Redondo Beach its own kindergarten-through-12th-grade district and to create a second district by consolidating the Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach schools, followed a yearlong study and came down squarely in favor of last year’s controversial vote by Redondo Beach elementary trustees to begin formation of a unified district of their own.

However, the consultant also called viable the creation of a single unified beach cities district--the option favored by the South Bay Union trustees. He added that, despite some disadvantages, the beach cities could also choose to maintain the existing system of three elementary districts and one high school district.

The report, by Terry McHenry of School Services of California Inc., was paid for by all the school districts except Redondo Beach, where supporters of the two-district idea have been gathering signatures on petitions for more than a year.

McHenry analyzed seven options, looking at enrollment projections, possible programs, staffing, district revenue limits and attitudes of parents. Of those, only three were found to be viable. And of those, he said, the two-district plan “appears to best meet the needs of local communities while being consistent with state criteria.”

Public hearings on the document have been scheduled for May 30 by the Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach trustees, and for June 6 by the South Bay Union trustees. The three districts will then discuss the recommendations in a joint meeting June 12 in Manhattan Beach.

However, initial reaction by board members and school officials was mixed.

“I’m delighted,” Redondo Beach elementary Trustee Rebecca Sargent said. “This is exactly what we’ve been saying for a long time.”

But South Bay Union Supt. Walter Hale said he has not changed his opinion that “joint unification (a single school district) would be the best for all the students in the beach cities.”

Hermosa Beach elementary Trustee Lynne Gonzales said she too would prefer a single district but would consider the two-district option.

And Manhattan Beach elementary Trustee Barbara Dunsmoor said the recommendation “mirrors a lot of what I’ve been hearing from the community.”

But she added: “There’s a great deal to consider here. . . . Kids make very strong ties in high school, and to ask them to consider leaving is something we should consider carefully.”

Talk of reorganizing the schools began gaining momentum last January, when the high school district, beset with financial losses and shrinking enrollment, suggested a single beach cities district.

But a week after the four boards tentatively agreed to study the idea, Redondo Beach trustees abruptly voted to break Redondo Union High School away from the South Bay Union district. Proponents noted that about two-thirds of the high school students were from Redondo Beach and argued that local control of the schools would be diluted under a single, three-city district.

The high school district opposed the plan, contending that a larger district would be able to offer programs and curricula that a smaller district would be unable to afford.

Redondo Beach trustees also formally invited Hermosa Beach to join its system, since most of the Hermosa students go on to attend Redondo Union High. If Hermosa chose not to join Redondo’s system, the trustees said, it could join with Manhattan Beach in creating a school system around the grade schools in the two cities and Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach.

But the Redondo vote was only a first step in a long process. Proponents of the plan need 10,000 petition signatures and state and county approval in order to get the two-district plan on the ballot, and voters would have the final say. The Redondo board wants to leave the question to voters in that city, while the high school trustees want all three cities to decide.

In either case, officials say, a unification election would not be likely before 1993.