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It began with a ploy by the prior superintendent and the pro-bond committee to threaten to close schools in the community if the community did not vote for the bond the third time on the ballot.
After the bond was rejected for the third time, the school board vote to close the Acton School, eliminating all class size reduction and force busing of all elementary students north of the freeway and to the south, west of Crown Valley to Agua Dulce.
After the community erupted into howls of displeasure, the dividing line was moved to essentially Red Rover. There was then considerable talk at the school board about what to do with the Acton Elementary campus, which included comments about selling property and throwing the money into a permanent school at Vasquez, which the voters had thrice rejected. It was pointed out to the board that they first had to form a 7-11 committee, under Ed Code 17387, to determine what property was surplus and subsequently what to do with the surplus property.
The first committee was selected in early April, made up exclusively of bond supporters, contrary to the Ed Code requirements. On 4-15-04 the school board rejected this committee and subsequently followed the education code procedures and established this committee on 5-13-04.
The committee met first on 6-17-04 at 3:30 in the afternoon, a time chosen for the convenience of the school, but guaranteeing no public participation. At the May 13th, 2004 committee meeting we were told by Dr. Wagner, the school was already in negotiations with the Antelope Valley College to lease the campus for 5 years, except for the district office and three classrooms, which were to be used for students from our district with behavioral problems. The idea of renting the school to the college was acceptable in concept, but there was significant concern about parking. Dr. Wagner suggested that they tear out the play areas and pave over all of the dirt areas. This was not well received and many on the committee wanted further data before they took a position.
Another proposal that the school should be rented to a private company that operated a "non-public" school for youths that have been expelled from the Antelope and Santa Clarita Valleys was universally opposed by each and every committee member.
When it was pointed out that this committee has yet to determine that the Acton School was in fact surplus property, Dr. Wagner advised us that the board had already made that determination. She said she would get back to us with more information on May 24th, 2004.
On May 24th, 2004, the meeting was changed to 4:30 PM, making it a little easier for community members to attend. Dr. Wagner reported that because members of the community had called the college that "those few people made the decision for the community", because the college perceived them to be hostile. I will admit that I called, but only to ask how many students they intended to enroll on the Acton campus, and if they had given any thought to parking for the students and staff. I did not identify myself as a committee member, but expressed a personal opinion that if the parking problem could be solved, and the colleges improvements meet the Acton Standards District, that a satellite college campus in Acton would be a fine idea.
The issue really turned on the fact that paving over 5 acres for a parking lot could not be done without meeting county flood control requirements, including the necessary clarifier facilities to absorb the oil and waste runoffs from the parking lot before they entered the aquifer. Additionally, its probable the residents along Syracuse and behind the school would object to the 5 acres of parking lot lights, and the 300 or more cars that would be funneled every night onto Syracuse, which has only a 30 foot right-of-way at Crown Valley.
On the May 24th, 2004 meeting no information was provided justifying the determination that the Acton School was surplus. When these issues were raised with Dr. Wagner, she continued with the statement that it was our committees charge was to determine the use of the school as it had been determined to be surplus by the board. which violates 17390a
At the May 27th, 2004 public hearing, the agenda was determined by Dr. Wagner and not the committee. Dr. Wagner would only allow comments from the public concerning the schools use not if the community considered it surplus.
Numerous persons attending the hearing and committee members took the position that the schools best use was to educate our kids and that class size reduction was its best use. The community was universally opposed to persons living outside Acton or Agua Dulce using the school for anything. The idea of bringing in expelled students was vehemently opposed. If the school is actually surplus, suggestions included child care, senior care, and similar community functions. Even though it was on the agenda, 7-11 committee members were not allowed to speak or discuss the issues before the public. The meeting was terminated by Dr. Wagner and she decided to cancel the only remaining scheduled meeting of the 7-11 committee, which was set for 6-1-04.
Dr. Wagner further announced that the school intended to move 9 of the modulars from Acton School to Meadowlark, High Desert and Vasquez to handle the over-crowding created at those schools by closing the Acton School.
How possibly can a school be surplus if you have to take away the buildings to house students that you removed from that school? Why waste hundreds of thousands of dollars doing the "Dance of the Modulars" when you could have just kept those students at the Acton School in permanent classrooms?
This type of thinking was designed to get us hardship money by moving these students to modulars from permanent classrooms. The real hardship on our kids is this incredible lack of planning coupled with the "lets improve the failed and voter rejected Red Rover campus" by stripping the assets from the rest of the district.
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