West Sac schools plot future following bond defeat

West Sacramento's school district administrators will present plans tonight on how the district will seek to rectify the lack of equal programs for students following the failure in November of a $59 million bond measure.

Washington Unified School District trustees will consider an interim facilities plan to close the district's only middle school and create a districtwide K-8 program in the 2008-09 school year.

The plan calls for using the district's facilities funds to purchase portable and modular classrooms for elementary campuses and to build a playground for younger children at the middle school campus.

The $10.3 million proposal is a scaled-down version of the plan for school improvements proposed under Measure S. District officials said funds for school facilities would not be affected by proposed state budget cuts.

The district in November sought a $59 million bond, of which $40 million was to be used to upgrade campuses for K-8 students. The ballot measure followed board approval in March 2007 to implement K-8 schools districtwide.

Newer elementary schools in the city's Southport area began the transition last year by adding seventh-graders and elective classes, such as robotics and digital photography. Older campuses in the northern section of the city, which needed more work, were dependent on the bond passing to upgrade their facilities and make room for similar programs.

A "Yes on S" campaign was championed as an effort to put all campuses on an equal footing. The ballot measure, which needed 55 percent approval to pass, failed with 49 percent voting against it.

Some Measure S opponents claim the district has mismanaged funds and has neglected north-area schools, which serve lower-income, ethnically diverse students.

"The board and administration are failing our students," said Liz Bagdazian, a school district parent who voted no.

Bagdazian was part of a low-key campaign against Measure S. She said voters had approved three prior bonds for school facilities, including a $52 million bond in 2004 to build a new high school scheduled to open in January 2009. Voters were not convinced, she said, that a new K-8 program and better facilities would fix low performance among students.

"The problem is just going to transfer over," Bagdazian said.

Board member Dave Westin said he is undecided about a district plan to seek another bond for K-8 schools. At the district's Jan. 10 board meeting, Westin criticized administrators for the high number of students failing subjects at River City High School.

About 37 percent of all high school students have at least one F, Westin said, adding that the number of failing students may represent an all-time high for the district.

Westin said he requested the data from River City High School after being made aware of the problem by a student representative of the district board. Westin also was upset by the few electives at Golden State Middle School and the lack of staffing for the school's computer lab.

"I don't think the board is being presented all the issues in the district," Westin said. "We're being presented the fact that everything is going great, and that's not the case."

Superintendent Steven Lawrence said he would research the concerns and that it is the district's intention to offer all electives at all K-8 schools.

Golden State Middle School – including about 740 students – has failed to meet federal educational requirements for the past four years, according to district officials. Under law, the school must undergo major restructuring of its governance or relinquish control to the state.

Although the K-8 changes will help meet federal requirements, that fact is not the reason behind the district's support of K-8, Lawrence said. The district has cited national studies that say K-8 schools help create more nurturing environments when compared with middle schools.

About the writer:

• The Bee's Lakiesha McGhee can be reached at (916) 321-1121 or lmcghee@sacbee.com.