SIMI VALLEY : Magnet School Foes Broaden Campaign

Opponents of a plan to convert Sequoia Junior High School in Simi Valley into a magnet school hope to use a school board forum tonight to demonstrate that even those without direct ties to Sequoia oppose the change.

At a Simi Valley school board meeting last week, most of those who spoke against the conversion were teachers, parents and students at Sequoia.

But Suzi Bird, an organizer of the Save Our Sequoia campaign, said the school’s backers spent the last week distributing between 5,000 and 10,000 flyers in an effort to broaden the campaign.

As a result, Bird said, speakers at tonight’s meeting will include representatives from both Simi and Royal high schools who oppose the reconfiguration plan.

The Save Our Sequoia team also plans to play a videotape at the meeting, Bird said.

Opponents of the reconfiguration have questioned its cost and say that not enough students would opt to attend the new high school, which would specialize in technology and the performing arts.

Supporters say the change at Sequoia is a necessary part of the district’s conversion to four-year high schools.

Diane Collins, president of the Simi Valley Unified School District board, said there are no special plans to enforce order at the meeting.

Police were called to last Tuesday’s meeting after some Sequoia backers became unruly, interrupting trustees with boos, hisses and threats of recall.

Although Collins said she expects police to be on hand tonight, she hopes that the past week has given people a chance to calm down. “We have to rely on the goodness of people to control themselves,” she said.

The meeting is at 6:30 in the Berylwood Elementary School auditorium, 2300 Heywood St., Simi Valley.