Moorpark Parents to Get 1st Picks on School Choices : Education: The district is ahead of most others in the county in implementing a state-mandated program.

Starting this spring, Moorpark parents will be among the first in Ventura County to choose which public school their children will attend.

Under a new state law, parents of elementary and middle school students in the Moorpark Unified School District will be able to pick which of the district’s seven schools they believe is most suited for their children.

Moorpark is ahead of most districts in the county working to implement a state-mandated “school choice” program because the district started developing its plan long before the state passed legislation in July that made such programs mandatory, school officials said.

“We hit the ground running because we’ve spent so much time looking at this issue internally,” school board member Clint Harper said. “We wanted to accelerate the process, because if we wait until the July deadline, we would have to wait another year before we could implement choice.”

A group of 24 teachers, administrators and parents formed a committee more than a year ago to look into the effectiveness of Moorpark’s schools, Harper said. They concluded that giving parents the choice of where to send their children would be the most effective way to involve parents in schools. The committee determined that more parent involvement would improve the quality of education in the city.

“It’s pretty simple,” said David Pollock, a parent who chaired the committee. “Parents will become involved because suddenly they are asked to decide what school is best for their child.”

Districts throughout the county will be setting up school choice programs over the next several months. Officials in the Conejo Valley Unified School District said they are preparing to notify parents soon about a choice program for Thousand Oaks schools.

The programs are based on state legislation passed last year mandating that public school districts have a program in place by July 1 allowing parents to send their children to any school within the district.

But there will be restrictions. In Moorpark, choices will be limited by the capacity of any one school to take additional students, and the movement of children must not upset the racial balance of the school, Assistant Supt. Frank DePasquale said.

Moorpark is considered one of the most integrated districts in the county. The student enrollment at each of its schools is about 75% white and 25% minority.

“It’s not unlimited choice,” DePasquale said. “But we also don’t expect to have the kind of fluctuations that some districts in places like Los Angeles will have. I believe that parents in Moorpark realize that the overall quality of education here is very high. They will choose between schools with the same core courses but with unique programs to offer.”

DePasquale said that over the years, many of Moorpark’s elementary schools have developed reputations for special programs. Campus Canyon School, for instance, is known for its environmental programs, while Arroyo West has established innovative computer classes.

“Those differences will be the basis of choice,” he said. “We’re not going to have any mass exodus from any one school.”

In addition to the school choice program, the Moorpark school board is considering allowing administrators to set up magnet programs for subjects such as math and science to improve education in the district.

“Choice is the first step,” Harper said. “We’re doing things that will keep improving our schools.”

Parents will be allowed to visit all of the district’s schools during open houses scheduled April 18 to 22. Also, all the elementary schools will have “Information Nights” throughout April. Parents wishing to move their children to a school outside their attendance area must file an application for the transfer by May 1.

School Choice Moorpark’s elementary schools will hold information sessions on the district’s school choice program. Here are the dates and times:

Arroyo West 6 p.m. April 18

Campus Canyon 6 p.m. April 19

Chaparral 7 p.m. April 19

Flory 7:30 p.m. April 18

Mesa Verde 7 p.m. April 25

Mountain Meadows 6 p.m. April 14

Peach Hill 7:15 p.m. April 14