Editorial Editorial (January 28, 2005)

Major changes for local schools

By closing Slater School, the cash-strapped Mountain View-Whisman School District expects to save the $350,000 in parcel tax funds it used to keep seven schools open this year. And it could gain up to $400,000 a year in rent for the vacant school site.

But while it is saving money, students, teachers and administrators will pay the price when classes begin in September as they negotiate a massive restructuring that will be felt at every one of the district's remaining six schools.

Slater, of course, will see the most impact as its 397 students are moved to Theuerkauf, Landels and possibly Huff Schools. In addition, the parent participation PACT (Parent-Child-Teacher) program now based at Slater will be moved to Castro School, along with any Slater students who wish to continue.

Castro will see other momentous changes in addition to taking on the PACT program, including its transition in the fall to an "intensive English Language Academy" while the current Dual Immersion language program will be pulled out and installed at Landels school.

Besides money, the Slater closure was driven by the district's shrinking enrollment, which fell from 4,440 last year to 4,300 this year and isn't expected to come back up to 4,400 until 2011. The school closure task force, which was said to support shutting Slater "by a significant margin," considered academic achievement, proximity of the families to the schools, cultural diversity and socio-economic diversity within the district in making its decision.

By closing Slater, the task force was able to disperse the school's declining academic performance among stronger schools. A similar benefit will be gained by breaking up the homogeneous Castro campus and spreading its many non-native-English speakers among other schools.

One unknown factor in the mix is how the district will accommodate the large number of additional students that must be seated at each campus. District officials say all schools are designed to hold 500 students, but it remains to be seen whether classrooms will be more crowded or if additional portable buildings will be needed.

Parents and teachers will have their say on the plan this Thursday (after the deadline for this week's Voice ) when the school board will take public testimony. The board is expected to approve a final plan on Feb. 3.

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