FOUNTAIN VALLEY : School Board Setting Its Goals for New Year

Dealing with multicultural students and pressing on with technology programs are among priorities the Fountain Valley School District Board of Trustees hope to tackle this school year.

“Each year the board wants to identify certain goals for that school year in an attempt to improve the district and to move the district ahead into the 21st Century,” trustee Larry R. Crandall said.

At the Sept. 22 meeting, trustees are expected to decide which goals to pursue.

Trustees at last Thursday’s meeting agreed to continue working to resolve overcrowding at the three middle schools, develop programs to modernize schools and decide what to do with the district’s nine vacant school sites.

Among new issues identified were to deal with unfunded state and federal mandates that place financial burdens on the district, ensure a nutritional lunch program, and monitor the voluntary uniform policy at Roch Courreges School.

Board President Robert Sedlak said working with parents and students to bring the ethnically diverse school populations together is among his new goals.

Sedlak said, for example, that some parents have misconceptions about English and non-English speaking students in the same classroom: “Every classroom is conducted in English and students who aren’t proficient in English are given tutoring.”

Trustee Barbara Vogel said she’d like to see the district “toughen up academic standards.” Trustee Julie Hoxsie said board education on special education issues and a districtwide disaster preparedness program top her list.

Trustee Catherine Hacker wants to look at the district’s deferred maintenance program to ensure that children on the playground are as safe as when they are in the classroom.