Fountain Valley may convert to unified district

Angelique Flores

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- The Fountain Valley School District officials are

exploring ways to transform the district into a unified system.

At a study session tonight, the board of trustees will begin to review

the possible effects and the procedures necessary to reorganize the

district. The reconfiguration would include keeping all existing

elementary and middle schools and adding Valley Vista and Fountain Valley

high schools from the Huntington Beach Union High School District.

“For quite some time, a lot of community members, city officials and

parents felt that a kindergarten through 12th grade unified school

district would be better for their children’s education,” Supt. Marc

Ecker said.

Advocates say a unified district would provide better accountability,

be more cost-effective, and give students one curriculum and one set of

policies. It would also monitor a child’s curriculum from kindergarten

through 12th grade, Ecker said.

A driving force behind the interest to unify the district is the

community’s satisfaction with the Fountain Valley School District, Ecker

said. The thinking is “We don’t want to leave you, so let’s all stay

together,” he said.

“When there’s a high level of confidence in an organization, there’s

an interest in expansion,” Ecker said.

Another factor is residents’ desire to retain their sense of community

identity, city officials say.

“Community identity is key,” said Fountain Valley Councilman Larry

Crandall, a longtime supporter of a unified school district. “You ought

to be able to go to the school district in the city you live in.”

A unified district could bring more autonomy, influence and state

funds, Crandall said. However, taking on the two high schools would also

mean taking on their repairs and teacher salaries.

“We have to look at the best interest of the citizens and make our

decisions accordingly,” Crandall said.

Huntington Beach Union High School District officials are waiting to

see the outcome of the studies before making any final decisions.

“I would want to see how it would affect the high school district

before I was for or opposed to it,” Huntington Beach Union High School

District Trustee Michael Simons said.

The board doesn’t see a reconfiguration along city boundaries -- which

would also involve Huntington Beach City, Ocean View and Garden Grove

school districts -- as a viable option.

“With too many districts, there would be too many problems and too

many challenges,” Ecker said.

Though Fountain Valley district officials haven’t heard any opposition

yet, they hope any concerns will surface during the exploration period.

“We want to take time,” he said. “There are things that I don’t have

answers to.”

THE HISTORY

During the 1970s, the district tried unsuccessfully to unify schools

within city limits. The efforts involved Garden Grove Unified, Huntington

Beach City, Huntington Beach Union High, Ocean View school districts.

The endeavor was defeated by voters.

“There was not enough coordination with the teachers in the other

school districts,” said Bill Crane, a Fountain Valley district board

member who served from 1968 to 1977.

The community’s strong support in the Fountain Valley district wasn’t

enough to overcome opposition posed by the school districts that didn’t

want to lose or absorb schools.

“I thought it was a good idea, but we weren’t well-organized and

didn’t have the best plan,” Crane said. “I think now they’re going about

it in a much better way.”

THE PROCESS

During the exploration period, which will last about 90 days, the

board will review the Orange County Department of Education

Reorganization Committee’s nine criteria that a district must meet before

approval of a unified district is granted. Some of the areas that must be

examined are the financial effect, educational programs, student

population, community support and the cost to the state.

A board vote to approve a district unification would take place no

earlier than late February. The district would then need to solicit

support from residents within the proposed school district and garner

signatures from at least 25% of the registered voters.

At that point, the district could apply to the county’s education

department, where the application would be reviewed by a department

committee, the county’s Board of Supervisors and, finally, by the state

board of education, which could call for the measure to go on the

ballot.

It could take at least 2 1/2 years for such an election to take place.

Tonight’s study session will be the Fountain Valley school board’s

first formal look at the process. The district plans to hold a public

hearing in January and another study session in February.

“Until I know the impacts, it’s hard to determine whether or not this

is the right things to do,” Ecker said.

FYI

A Fountain Valley School District study session on the proposed

unification of schools in the city is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today in

the district’s board room, 17210 Oak St.