Prop. V Foes Complain of Lockout at 2 PTA Meetings

Opponents of a school unification plan for the South Bay beach cities claim they were unfairly locked out of back-to-school night activities at two Manhattan Beach schools while Parent Teacher Associations that favor the idea were allowed to present their positions.

The latest clash comes as campaigning heats up before the Nov. 3 vote on Proposition V, the school unification initiative.

If approved by a simple majority, the measure would dissolve the South Bay Union High School District and create two unified school districts, Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach. Hermosa Beach would remain a separate elementary school district and Hermosa Beach students could choose to attend either Redondo Union High School or Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach.

At the back-to-school nights last week, PTA members from Grand View and Pacific elementary schools set up information tables with literature in favor of unification.

Bob Brigham and Jim Duffy, organizers of a group against unification, said they had asked the school districts if they, too, could set up information tables, but their requests were denied. Instead, on Thursday, the two men handed out anti-unification literature to parents in parking lots outside the schools.

“Seems to me that the position the school district should take is that parents should have the opportunity to make a choice,” said Brigham, a former teacher at Mira Costa High School. “They should give both sides the opportunity to be represented.”

Janice Studwell, president of the Grand View Elementary School PTA, noted that her group had applied for and received district permits to be present at back-to-school nights as far back as August.

Jerry Davis, superintendent of the Manhattan Beach City School District, said the PTAs had followed proper procedure in obtaining a permit to set up the pro-unification tables at the schools.

“I told (the group against unification) that I would allow them to rent a room and schedule an informational coffee of their own for free . . . (but) not for the same night. That was organized by our PTAs,” he said.

Unification has been considered in the beach cities for more than 30 years and in earnest since 1989, when the South Bay Union High School District invited the three elementary districts in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach to consider merging with the high school district to shore up sagging finances and enrollments in the districts.

Proponents argue that unification makes sense because it would give residents control of their schools from kindergarten through high school, and is therefore more efficient.

Opponents contend that the new districts would have less money because of state funding formulas, and this could lead to fewer programs in the high schools. Elementary school programs would have to be undercut to support high school offerings, they fear.

In addition, some worry that about 500 north Redondo Beach students would not be able to remain in the high school closest to where they live--Mira Costa--because it would become part of a newly formed Manhattan Beach Unified School District. Opponents also anticipate more traffic congestion in Redondo Beach because of students commuting south to the high school there.

Times staff writer Kim Kowsky contributed to this story.