LOWER LAKE ? Following seven public discussions of the matter, the Konocti Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to close Oak Hill Middle School to address a $1.2 million budget shortage that will effect the 2009-10 academic year.
Public discussions have been held at all elementary school sites as well as the OHMS campus throughout the course of the past month. An additional discussion was also held in the new gym at Lower Lake High School last week.
The board had remained silent throughout the course of the public discussions until Wednesday night, when a decision was made to close OHMS on a 3-2 vote. Dissenting votes were cast by trustees Hank Montgomery and Herb Gura.
Concerns expressed by many parents and staff members throughout the discussions have pertained to the intermingling of older students with younger ones should grades be realigned to K-8 campuses. Many feel that there is a potential for exposing younger children to the behavioral problems that often surface among the seventh and eighth grade age group.
The option to close Oak Hill Middle School has received a fairly equal amount of opposition as well as support. Primary concerns are for losing academic, athletic and extracurricular activities. Another concern is the district”s ability to recruit and staff qualified teachers with proper credentials for meeting state curriculum standards.
While some have opposed closing Oak Hill, several parents have voiced support in the option claiming that the school has been a problem within the district for many years. Many parents have stated that they are unwilling to send their children to Oak Hill and have opted to transfer their students to a different district.
Prior to its decision, the board heard presentations by Finance Director Laurie Altic and Maintenance and Facilities Supervisor Dana Moore. Altic ran down the numbers and provided insight into the financial situation faced by all school districts of the state while Moore provided possible options for adapting current facilities to accommodate increases in student populations.
According to Altic, the majority of the district”s budget is consumed by personnel expenditures. “Eighty percent of the budget is personnel related,” she said. “So, when we look at reducing expenses we need to look at staff first. There aren”t many school districts that aren”t looking at the option of closing schools.”
Altic added that the middle school model is three times more expensive than the elementary school model. Although net savings differ among the grade realignment options that are being considered, the initial savings associated with closing OHMS is $1,025,680.
Board trustees Mary Silva, Carolynn Jarrett and Anita Gordon each expressed their difficulty in reaching their decisions. Gordon, who has been a school board trustee for the past 10.5 years, said this has been the most difficult subject matter she”s ever had to face. While she commended the staff”s ability at OHMS, she said her decision would be based on money. “What I”m thinking about is the money part. There isn”t a school in the state of California that isn”t discussing this,” she said. “If we leave Oak Hill, we haven”t addressed the $1 million we need to work with for next year. The Average Daily Attendance (ADA) that we could lose from the parents who addressed us is a concern for me. I”m faced with a really ugly decision that I don”t like. I would have to favor the decision that is monetary.”
Jarrett said she recognized a sense of community and parent involvement at all the public discussions with the exception of OHMS. “One thing that sort of struck me, going to the five sites, was we didn”t hear from the parents at Oak Hill; it was all staff,” she said. “The relationship with their parents is not there.”
Jarrett added that her decision was also based on the financial situation of the district. She also said that she thinks that combining the knowledge of adolescents and curriculum held by the middle school teachers with the parent relationships that exist at the elementary schools will be a perfect marriage.
Silva offered similar words regarding the difficulties involved with making a decision. “It hurts to have to close one of our schools,” she said. “When we”re faced with a $1.2 million shortfall, I don”t know what else to do. I don”t know where that money is going to come from.”
Silva added concerns for student services as well. “If we do close Oak Hill, I want to make sure our seventh and eighth graders, and all of our students for that matter, are well served. I don”t want to bounce them around. I want the best choices for all the children and I”m not ready to commit to any one option.”
Silva said in light of recently issuing of 52 pink slips, closing Oak Hill may provide an opportunity to rehire staff. “In closing Oak Hill, we”ll be able to hire some teachers back. That”s our ultimate goal, getting teachers in the classroom to teach our kids.”
Jarrett offered additional comments regarding the future. “The middle school model is expensive and it”s going to be expensive next year,” she said. “I think we”re going to have more cuts in the future. We need to get lean.”
Montgomery accredited OHMS with the academic success of his own children and said he doesn”t support closing the school. “The closure of Oak Hill really seems to be the issue. Most of what I”ve heard in talking about Oak Hill is what is wrong with it,” he said. “I don”t believe the school should be closed. I cannot get my arms around it and cannot justify it. If we need to change Oak Hill then we need to change it. At this point in time I am not in favor of closing Oak Hill.”
Gura said he didn”t feel ready to make a decision. “I don”t feel like I have an understanding of all the complexities,” he said. “The only reason I would consider closing Oak Hill is for money. I”m still not quite there, at a decision place.”
The district will now begin to look at the two options for realigning elementary campuses to serve K-8. The first option would reconfigure all four elementary schools to serve K-8. This option would result in a net savings of $759,700.
The second option is to reconfigure Burns Valley Elementary School to serve K-3; Pomo 4-8; Lower Lake K-8 and East Lake would remain K-8. This option would result in a net savings of $885,304.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
