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Here are some reasons why the Davis School Board should keep
both Korematsu and Valley Oak open.
1) Every child deserves a neighborhood
school.
2) Choosing an elementary school for closure pits neighborhood against neighborhood.
Closing either Valley Oak or Korematsu pits neighborhood
against neighborhood. If the opening of a much needed school in an outer neighborhood (Korematsu) is followed
by closing an equally needed school in the city center (Valley Oak), city center opposition to growth will increase.
If, on the other hand, Valley Oak is kept open at the expense of Korematsu, the outer neighborhoods of Davis will feel
left out.
The interdependence of the city center and the outer neighborhoods makes Davis
a great place to live. Growth should be in conjunction with, not in opposition to the center; and the center should not
alienate the newer neighborhoods.
3) Current enrollments in the district do not justify
school closure.
In 1999, the projections used by the Board to argue
for the need to build two new elementary schools (Montgomery and Korematsu) predicted an enrollment of 4,450 K-6 students
in 2006-07 (Final 1999/2000 to 2009/2010 Enrollment Projections, April 20, 1999, p. 43). We have 4,378 K-6 students
as of October 2006. If 4,450 kids predicted for
2006-07 were enough to justify building two new schools in 1999, for a total of 9 elementary schools, then the 4,378 K-6 kids
who are currently enrolled in 2006-07 should be enough to keep all 9 of these schools open.
If the School Board decides to close Valley Oak, the property owners in Davis
may well question why they are paying for Measure K, which passed on May 23, 2000, and supported the construction of Montgomery
and Korematsu. If the Board in 2007 decides that 4,378 K-6 students may be accommodated in 8 elementary schools, then everyone
will wonder why the Board told them that we needed 9 schools seven years ago with projected enrollments for 4,450 K-6 students
in 2006-07.
4)
Valley Oak can help the district finance the operation of Korematsu.
The School Board opened Korematsu financing it with one-time funds in
an escrow account, sufficient to operate the school for three years through the end of 2008-09. The identification of ongoing
funds ($ 400,000 - 600,000 per year) to run this school facility is an extremely high priority for the district budget.
Valley Oak could bring money to the district by accommodating inter-district transfer students, each one of whom would bring
more than $ 6,000 in state funds. While Valley Oak does not have any space to offer to inter-district transfers with its 531
students now, it will experience some decrease in its enrollments as children living in the eastern part of its attendance
area gradually move to Korematsu. The classroom space opened up by this gradual move could be earmarked for inter-district
transfer students.
5) Korematsu attendance area is home for many kids who need a neighborhood
elementary school. And the Valley Oak attendance area is growing fast to make up for the loss of its easternmost
section to the recently constituted Korematsu attendance area.
The attendance area of Valley Oak has the largest development potential in the next decade in Davis
with plans under way for Cannery Park (610 residences), the East Eighth Street development/infill project, one of the scenarios
of which foresees the construction of 825 new residential units (see p. 19 in the pdf file under “City of Davis, East
Eighth Street Corridor Improvements” on http://www.sacog.org/regionalfunding/fundingprograms_commdesign.cfm), and the potential development of the PG&E site at the corner of Fifth and L streets, which is identified as a potential
housing site that could accommodate 300 dwelling units in the City's April 2003 potential housing sites report.
If Valley Oak were closed this year, it will have to be re-opened in a few years, creating a second wave
of disruptions in the lives of Davis students and parents.
6) Korematsu is brand new and Valley
Oak is recently renovated.
Valley
Oak is the most recently renovated school with over four million dollars invested over 6 years (1999-2005).
7) The closure of Korematsu
or Valley Oak would cause a disruption of relationships and a change of learning environment that would have a negative impact
on children’s academic performance, psychological wellbeing, and social development.
The
rumors about closing Valley Oak have already caused anxiety among the students, their families, and the staff, disrupting
a peaceful environment that is conducive to learning and teaching.
8) Closing Korematsu or Valley Oak would create waves of
disruption in the lives of students and parents all over Davis.
If Korematsu were closed, its students would have to be transferred to Birch Lane and
Valley Oak, creating disruptions in the lives of students and parents.
If Valley Oak were closed, Valley
Oak neighborhood program students would most likely be transferred to Birch Lane because the current Valley Oak attendance
area is outside the 1-mile walking area of Korematsu, and railroad tracks separate the Valley Oak attendance area from North
Davis Elementary School. Birch Lane cannot handle this enormous influx of Valley Oak students, and it
would undermine education for all children involved due to over crowding and transportation problems. The successful Montessori
program at Birch Lane would probably be moved elsewhere.
9) Valley Oak is the only school that has the
central location and facilities to allow the two strands of the GATE program to remain together.
If Valley Oak were to close, the GATE program would
be split in two and sent to two different sites, making it impossible for GATE children to enjoy the social and academic benefits
of class differentiation.
10) Valley Oak has the most successful English Learner (EL) program in Davis.
The following quotation is from
a report presented to the public by three experienced EL educators of Davis:
"Valley Oak is best meeting
the needs of ELs in the DJUSD. We are concerned about placing Valley Oak’s ELs at another school site while a similar
model is being developed because Valley Oak’s ELs can’t afford a disruption in their education. We are strongly
recommending that Valley Oak Elementary remain open."
11) Valley Oak serves the school district’s most economically and
ethnically diverse population; and it serves them well.
Valley Oak is the only majority-minority school in Davis — at Valley Oak minorities constitute 52 percent of the students.
It also has the largest number of students qualifying for federal Title I funds. All of these students are academically thriving
at Valley Oak: recent data shows that Valley Oak is a leader in Davis efforts to close the achievement gap.
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