What's Up, Doc? Input Sought on School Boundaries

By Randall Freeman, PhD

The Menifee Union School District will be opening a new elementary school in August. The school, currently referred to as Elementary School No. 10, is located in the southeastern portion of our school district, near French Valley.

This new school is desperately needed to relieve overcrowding at Southshore and Oak Meadows Elementary Schools and to welcome residents of the new houses being built in that area of the district.

School boundaries must be updated across the MUSD to achieve a new balance of students at our current schools and ES 10. It has been determined that this adjustment can be achieved without affecting the following schools: Freedom Crest Elementary School, Ridgemoor Elementary School and the three middle schools. The remaining elementary schools will be affected to some degree.

Both Southshore and Oak Meadows Elementary schools are currently impacted and their student populations must be adjusted downward. MUSD staff have presented possible boundary maps to the Governing Board. Two maps have been selected to be presented to the community for their input. Public hearings have been scheduled at the following sites to receive community input:

All meetings will be from 6-7 p.m.)
Hans Christensen Middle School, Monday, March 7
Bell Mountain Middle School, Wednesday, March 8
Menifee Valley Middle School, Thursday, March 10

The proposed maps can be accessed at the Menifee USD website, located at http://www.menifeeusd.org/.

If you are unable to attend one of these meetings, please send your feedback to a school board member or the district superintendent, Dr. Steve Kennedy. All emails are read. Individual replies may not be possible.

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.