What's Up, Doc? More Homes Means More Schools

By Randall Freeman, PhD

Following my previous column on what the Menifee Union School District is looking forward to in 2016, our latest school board meeting provided information on what challenges face MUSD in the coming five years. The timing seems right to share those challenges with you.

The Audie Murphy Ranch development on the western edge of Menifee will eventually max out at some 2,300 single-family homes. The formulas utilized for the County of Riverside include how many elementary and middle school students should be expected to live in those homes. Based upon those projections, MUSD will be required to build a new elementary school and a new middle school in the ensuing five years to accommodate these children.

The southeastern corner of our school district is also expanding rapidly. As previously reported, a new elementary school is scheduled to begin operation this August in the French Valley area of our district. Even with the addition of this school, Southshore and Oak Meadows Elementary Schools will require additional relief within a short time.

On the drawing board is an additional elementary school to serve this area of MUSD. Per our facilities department, we are looking at placing a school between Briggs Road and Leon Road, south of Scott Road. The school would likely back up against Keller Road.

In addition to new construction projects, the MUSD will be facing the necessity of rehabilitating and refurbishing existing school sites. Even Oak Meadows Elementary School is a decade old now and many schools will need to be repaired and modernized to keep pace with the needs of our children and various real property codes. Equipment wears out and becomes obsolete and will need to be replaced on an ongoing basis.

The Menifee Union School District is growing rapidly, matching the growth patterns of the City of Menifee. Projections predict that our community will eventually double in size and population. The MUSD is projected to eventually reach a student population of 38,000. We are on the way, almost at 10,000 students at this time. Menifee is growing up!

Randy Freeman and his family have lived in Menifee since 1993. Randy teaches kindergarten in Perris and his lovely wife Karen teaches first grade here in Menifee at Freedom Crest Elementary School. They are the proud parents of four beautiful daughters: Daniela, 18, and 14-year-old triplets Sarah, Holly, and Megan. Other family members include dogs Scruffy and Max, 17-year-old cat Hunter, and turtle Tuttles. Randy earned his PhD in early childhood education in 2011 and has served on the Menifee Union School Board since 2008. Randy has wisely decided to delete the bit about being Karen's boss in order to continue living in his happy home.