EDITORIAL

The second time around just may be the charm for Fountain Valley

School District.

Last month, the district started exploring ways to convert to a

unified system. 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.

It could be a good idea -- if it flies.

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 by 180 votes because there was not

enough coordination with the teachers in the other school districts.

And 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. Unifying the schools along

city boundaries sounds like a good idea to us for several reasons. The

school districts would gain more local control, there would be

educational continuity from kindergarten through high school for

students, as well as increased efficiency in running the district,

facility improvements and financial gains.

Local control of a school district is not only a good idea, it’s a

desirable position for parents to be in and has caught fire in recent

pushes for charter schools and even charter districts.

If Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach each had their own school

district, there would be many positive outcomes: two school boards and

two superintendents, instead of four.

Also, pairing down the administrative staffs at each district would

mean even more cost savings for taxpayers. Students would be able to

attend classes at schools in their own city instead of traveling to

another, which is time effective. With these cost savings, the district

could hire more experienced teachers to teach in the new district.

There is another side of the story of course.

Opponents argue there is no real need to change, and programs may lose

effectiveness.

The district would also absorb financial burdens of higher salaries

and older facilities. The Huntington Beach Union High School District

could also see a financial burden if more of their younger staff goes to

the unified district, leaving the high school district with a more senior

staff.

But the benefits outweigh the detriments in our opinion.

Sure there are a lot of kinks to work out, but we think it’s a viable

option and one that not only the Fountain Valley should look into very

seriously but Huntington Beach City, Ocean View and the Huntington Beach

Union High school districts should as well.

If they do it right, a plan could be put into place that would give

parents, children, teachers, administrators and ultimately the voters and

taxpayers every reason to approve the idea resoundingly.

Let’s get the debate going now.