District Considers Offering Specialized Curriculum

The William S. Hart Union High School District may offer specialized curriculum at individual campuses next year, allowing parents to pick which school their child will attend based upon the students’ career interests.

Trustee William Dinsenbacher suggested the creation of a “school within a school” program modeled after theme schools he saw while growing up in New York City.

“They had schools where the whole population of a school was specialized,” said Dinsenbacher. “It’s something we could do as a microcosm, I believe.”

Science, performing arts and computer training are typical specializations, although a customized school can include different schedules, grades or codes of conduct. Increased technical training from the specialized schools is thought to improve students’ chances of obtaining a job or entering college.

District officials think that next year is a good time for specialized programs because of recent California legislation allowing parents to choose which public school their children attend. Assembly Bill 1114 mandates open enrollment for districts statewide beginning next fall.

“AB 1114 sets a theme. It says a kid should be able to go to a school he chooses,” said Lew White, facilities director for the Hart District. “This (program) gives them a good reason to choose a school.”

Many of the theme school program’s logistics still need to be worked out, including whether busing will be offered to students who would normally walk to school but choose to attend a campus in a faraway part of the district.

“The more restrictions there are on transportation, the less truly open ‘open enrollment’ really is,” White said.

Trustees Wednesday agreed to pay $13,500 for Price Research to survey at least 600 residents by telephone about theme school ideas, open enrollment and other upcoming school issues.

The survey will be conducted starting in late November and completed by Jan. 1. Results are to show if parents want the “school within a school” program and, if so, at how many campuses.

“If we see there is little or no interest, it would be silly for us to try and drum up interest for something nobody wants,” said board President Sandra Loberg.

A lottery system has been suggested if students want to switch to a campus where there is limited space available.

Many students are already switching campuses next fall with the opening of a new junior high school and high school.

Participants in the telephone survey will also be asked about ideas for changing attendance boundaries in the district.

Some district officials predict that students will choose to attend the school they would traditionally, no matter what customized instruction is offered.

“I think there’s a lot of loyalty at our schools,” Supt. Walt Swanson said.