BREA : Elementary Students May Face Transfers

The Brea Olinda Unified School District is considering forcing about 100 students who attend the overcrowded Mariposa and Arovista elementary schools to go to schools with smaller student populations next year.

The students who would be transferred do not live in the attendance areas for Mariposa and Arovista elementary schools, school officials said. Some live outside Brea.

If the proposal is approved, the students who do not live in the city would be transferred to either Laurel, Fanning, Brea Country Hills or Olinda elementary schools, whose classes are not overcrowded. Students who are residents of the city and are going to Arovista or Mariposa will be sent to their neighborhood schools.

Currently, 690 students attend Arovista and 615 attend Mariposa. The maximum recommended enrollment is 650 at Arovista and 600 at Mariposa. School officials said they expect the two schools’ student populations to grow within the next few years because housing projects in their attendance areas are being developed.

“There’s no room right now at these two schools for local growth,” Assistant Supt. Gary D. Goff said.

By moving the students who attend Arovista and Mariposa on inter- and intra-district transfers, room would be created for new students, he said.

School board members may allow students who live on Elm Street, Date Street and Cedar Avenue to remain at Arovista. Pepper Tree Drive residents currently enrolled in Mariposa may be allowed to stay there as well.

Any resident who moves to Elm, Date or Cedar would be required to attend Laurel, and new Pepper Tree residents would be required to attend Fanning.

A public hearing on the boundary changes is planned for Monday and board members are expected to make a decision May 2.