Schools and Race in South Orange County

Re “School Boundaries Often Lines in the Sand,” April 25:

The Times’ assertion of racism for the opposition to the Capistrano Unified School District’s boundary changes is absolutely wrong for the majority of south Orange County parents. Our opposition stems from boundaries that make no sense geographically and are based on the political agenda of our superintendent, who has been influenced by developers and city councils.

This “gleaming new $67-million high school” is being built primarily for Rancho Viejo, a community that hasn’t yet broken ground.

San Juan Hills High School will open with only the bare bones, and it will be up to the parents to supplement district underfunding with volunteer time and much money, with no assurance that we won’t be zoned out of that school once Rancho Viejo is built.

Add to that the location of the school, next to an active landfill, and the fact that the commute necessitates a trip on Interstate 5 for many students, and you have the reasons we are fighting these changes. The racial spin of this article is not representative of the opposition voiced at numerous public hearings or of our community.

Gwyn Grenrock

Mission Viejo

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It never ceases to amaze me what parents will do to “protect” their children from the children of the people whom they pay to be their nannies, gardeners, housekeepers, and yes, even their doctors and teachers.

There are bad apples in all races, cultures and ethnicities. The Latino parents whose children will attend San Juan Hills High School also want a safe, orderly school where their children can excel.

Parents need to follow the school superintendent’s suggestion to “be pioneers in creating something new” and introduce their kids to a new concept: diversity.

Lili R. Lillie

Studio City