Fountain Valley residents supportive of unification plan

Angelique Flores

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- City residents expressed their support of Fountain

Valley School District’s unification plans, but have differing opinions

on how to go about bringing the schools together.

The district held a public hearing Jan. 18 to listen to the

community’s views on reorganizing it into a kindergarten through 12 grade

unified school district.

“I think your approach is very good, very sound and very reasonable,”

said resident Bill Crane who was the board president in 1976 during the

district’s first unification attempt. “You will have an easier time if

you go along the boundaries. Once you accomplish that, then go after the

others.”

District officials began exploring the effects of transforming into a

unified system in November. A reconfiguration along district boundaries

would include keeping all existing elementary and middle schools and

adding Valley Vista and Fountain Valley high schools, which are now part

of the Huntington Beach Union High School District.

Advocates say a unified district would provide better accountability,

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

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

through 12th grade, officials said.

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

community identity.

“From a student perspective, it’s a wonderful opportunity to receive

an exemplary education,” said resident Helen Outcault.

Though in support of the move, she is concerned the unification could

have negative financial effects on the district.

“There will need to be a lot of money to spent upfront before we enjoy

the benefits,” she said.

Because of potential financial and enrollment drawbacks, the board

doesn’t see reconfiguring along city boundaries -- which would also

involve Huntington Beach City, Ocean View and Garden Grove school

districts -- as a viable option.

But many residents eventually want unification along these lines.

“I don’t feel [my children] get the quality education at the schools

we reside in, but I do feel they could in Fountain Valley School District

schools,” said resident Rick Cheseborough, who lives in Fountain Valley

but sends his children to private schools because he doesn’t live within

the district’s boundaries.

Another group who doesn’t want to get left out in a reorganization is

the southern part of the district that overlaps into Huntington Beach.

“I would love to see it unified along city boundaries,” said resident

Roger Belgen. “But, you can’t gulp the whole thing in one move.”

To the surprise of the board, only six speakers addressed the board at

the public hearing.

“Either the word isn’t out or people are just waiting to see,” trustee

Julie Larson said. “We’ll hear more as time goes on.”

The district will hear more feedback from a survey that will be given

to students to take to their parents next month. Because of the cost to

send out the survey, district officials opted not to mail out the survey

to the residents. The district is still looking for other ways to have

the survey available to more residents.

The board will have the results from the survey and a fiscal report

and analysis by an outside consultant at its next meeting Feb. 22. The

board is expected to make a decision in March.

If the unification plan is approved, it would take at least until 2003

to get everything in place, including a new school board and

superintendent, officials say.

“Whatever direction we choose to go is going to be based on good

facts,” Larson said.