High Schools Redirect Fewer Than Expected

After months of wrangling over a burgeoning student population, Van Nuys and North Hollywood high schools sent away fewer students than expected to other schools, expanding their fall enrollments to the largest ever.

“So far we haven’t bused any students,” said Jim Szabo, registrar at North Hollywood High School. “I absorbed my entire wait list and we’ve managed to include all of those students onto our campus.”

After deciding against operating classes year-round, North Hollywood and Van Nuys both faced having to bus students to other San Fernando Valley high schools to make room. The decision to bus students followed months of meetings among parents, teachers and administrators and was prompted by a new district policy adding ninth-graders to Valley high schools.

North Hollywood started its school year with 200 students on a waiting list. But all were allowed to enroll in place of students who did not show up for the first day. The campus now has 3,200 students.

Most of the absent students had transferred to other schools or were accepted into magnet programs. Any new students, however, will probably be bused to either Reseda High School or Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Szabo said.

Students living near Van Nuys High were not so lucky. Nearly 500 will have to enroll at either Taft or Birmingham high schools, said Van Nuys Principal Russ Thompson.

About 400 students on the school’s waiting list were admitted to Van Nuys. They received those spots after 414 students didn’t show up for the first day of class.

“I was surprised by the number of no-shows of the kids who were guaranteed seats,” Thompson said. “I thought it was going to be a smaller number.”

Van Nuys reached its capacity of 3,387 students on the first day of school, Thompson said. New students will be enrolled at Taft or another high school with room available.