Ridgemoor School Boundary Meeting
I attended the meeting this evening at the School District Board Room, and the place was jammed with folks. It looked as if every parent in...
http://www.menifee247.com/2008/01/ridgemoor-school-boundary-meeting.htm
I attended the meeting this evening at the School District Board Room, and the place was jammed with folks. It looked as if every parent in Menifee Hills showed up, probably about 250 people there.
The board room was over capacity. It has a sign that read "Maximum Capacity 58", and I'd say there was double that, maybe more. Good thing the fire department wasn't there, or they would've kicked everyone out. There was another 125 or so that had to stand outside.
Bruce Shaw, the director of facilities tried to accommodate everyone there despite not being able to. I heard one woman argue that this meeting needed to be rescheduled to give every concerned parent an opportunity to hear. Shaw couldn't respond.
The board invited folks to speak, including those standing outside, and several people did. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear any of it, being at the back of the room. There was just too many people. It seems the PA system the board uses is rather weak; I think they tried to turn up the volume, but it still couldn't project. It was just not designed for large audiences.
People eagerly waited to hear the board talk about the proposed boundary changes, but there wasn't any discussion. They explained that they would discuss the boundary changes next week, Monday, January 14, 2008, 6:00pm, at Ridgemoor Elementary School, Multipurpose Room.
A couple other people I talked to expressed pessimism, saying the school board already have their minds made up.
For a background on this subject, see my earlier article, "Ridgemoor School Boundary Change".
Just prior to the meeting.
Inside the board room.
Folks who couldn't get into the board room.
The board room was over capacity. It has a sign that read "Maximum Capacity 58", and I'd say there was double that, maybe more. Good thing the fire department wasn't there, or they would've kicked everyone out. There was another 125 or so that had to stand outside.
Bruce Shaw, the director of facilities tried to accommodate everyone there despite not being able to. I heard one woman argue that this meeting needed to be rescheduled to give every concerned parent an opportunity to hear. Shaw couldn't respond.
The board invited folks to speak, including those standing outside, and several people did. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear any of it, being at the back of the room. There was just too many people. It seems the PA system the board uses is rather weak; I think they tried to turn up the volume, but it still couldn't project. It was just not designed for large audiences.
People eagerly waited to hear the board talk about the proposed boundary changes, but there wasn't any discussion. They explained that they would discuss the boundary changes next week, Monday, January 14, 2008, 6:00pm, at Ridgemoor Elementary School, Multipurpose Room.
A couple other people I talked to expressed pessimism, saying the school board already have their minds made up.
For a background on this subject, see my earlier article, "Ridgemoor School Boundary Change".
Hi Steve, I found this news link about it. Thanks to THOSE parents now my children are going to get moved since I live south of Ridgemoore. I still live close to the school thought. Now its our turn to prostest too I guess.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/01/09/news/californian/4_03_341_8_08.txt#blogcomments
The district should perhaps just define the new boundaries, but enforce them only to new students, not existing students.
ReplyDeleteThat way folks in J-Bar Ranch can still send their kids to Ridgemoor.
ditto
ReplyDeleteHi Steve,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to correct some information and also update you on what else you should be aware of. I too attended the board meeting. Many of the people that you see in the photos are teachers. The teachers were not all from Ridgemoore but from all over the district. We too are upset about the boundary changes but if you were able to hear after the information from the Ridgemoor parents MTA president,Greg Tortoretti, spoke about a very big, upcoming problem. The teachers are being paid the lowest in the 9 different districts and were not even meeting cost of living increases. WE (I'm a teacher in the district) love the children in Menifee and put in 10-12 hour days. Yet the board doesn't seem to realize or care that we can and will go to other districts and get paid much more with retirement benefits included. So, be aware the whole district is affected by changes of principals and boundaries and lack of pay. We need the parents' support to work together to correct these things and hope that you'll back us at the meetings as we came to back your group up. We've recently been informed that in addition to low pay the new schools and boundaries may affect what schools we will be working at come July. We may have to leave some of our favorite schools and work at other schools in the district just to keep a job. It's not a fun day in Menifee right now.
After attending the Menifee School District Board Meeting on January 8, 2008, I had many questions. I am sure that all families involved have also. I strongly encourage you to attend the upcoming meeting a Ridgemoor School on January 14, 2008 at 6PM and seek answers to your questions. This may be your last chance to do so. Maybe you would consider asking one of these…
ReplyDeleteRidgemoor Boundary Meeting Questions?
Sometimes change is painful but necessary, but is this truly the case? What justification does the Board have for bussing students who live one half mile from Ridgemoor to a school that is almost 3 miles away? How were these boundary determinations made; is it true they were calculated by only one individual? Are there any spec sheets with numbers and statistics to back up the necessity of this action?
Why were 2 new elementary schools built for Menifee when there are only 2 middle schools that are bursting at the seams and in which some students do not even have room for desks? Is it reasonable that one of those could have been designated a new middle school since they are in much more immediate dire straights than the elementary schools? More elementary schools were needed but should they have been considered over the middle schools? Would Quail Valley have been a good location for a middle school?
Are the proposals a long term solution or a short term remedy for the ever growing student influx into the Menifee School District
Example:
1) What happens when the Audie Murphy Ranch homes on Newport & Goetz are complete; will the children go to Quail Valley and will they then be over capacity and another proposal made?
2) What happens when all the new homes are finished on Newport by the new Evans Ranch school; will they then be over capacity and another proposal made?
Were actual calculations and projections (with FACTS and figures) done before presenting these proposals? If so we would be interested in hearing them.
Have you considered the fact that students who are forced to ride the bus (even though they are within walking distance from their current school) will have to get up 1 to 1 ½ hours earlier and arrive home 1 to 1 ½ hours later? (This is just a guess & should be confirmed by bus drivers considering the first being picked up and last dropped off, time would vary depending on how many stops were in front of you). They will probably be getting home shortly before dusk and miss their basketball, baseball, soccer or other practices. That is not to even mention their homework outside play time.
When both parents are working and students require after school care, will they have to change providers to one closer to the Quail Valley school? If so, will those children lose the security of their school, friends, have to sit on a bus for long periods of time and also have to be introduced to new child care? Please consider this factor as it is very difficult for parents to find a safe and secure shelter for their children when they have to work.
At the Board Meeting the Board stated numerous times that they had NOT SEEN or heard any boundary proposal and that none were approved. If this is the case, why did residents south of Honeyrun receive letters in December 2007 stating students at that residence were “identified as potentially being affected by the proposed attendance boundaries” ? School #8 in Quail Valley was designated.
Why were letters sent out to a portion of students at Ridgemoor about boundary changes and not to all the other school’s families? Shouldn’t everyone have been given the same fair notification of changes? Why were they even sent out BEFORE the proposal was presented to the Board?
Has consideration been given to time and safety for bus riders and car transporters?
1) Newport is a very poor road fraught with traffic and accidents. It is also being rerouted or changed into the new Audie Murphy development in the near future. Have calculations been made to estimate any additional time or mileage this might incur?
2) Newport has been frequently closed due to construction or repair and the other way around to Quail Valley would be about nine miles.
Many of the residents moved to Menifee and invested in their home and family after much research into the elementary school their children would be attending. The main criteria was a quality school within a short distance from their neighborhood. They have diligently paid taxes for schools and etc. Are they to be rewarded by being forced to be bussed to a school which is 2 or MORE miles further away?