Sounding Board -- Bret Taboada

In his Community Commentary (“Close Estancia and open a super school,”

Nov. 27), Tim Cromwell is correct in addressing the symbiotic

relationship between Estancia High School and the city of Costa Mesa. As

Cromwell said, Estancia has indeed been Costa Mesa’s “dirty little

secret” for the past decade and becomes more “embarrassing” with each

passing year.

Costa Mesa, and Cromwell’s Mesa Verde neighborhood in particular, will

never become the first-class community it wants to be without top

schools. Mesa Verde residents have become complacent in their little

hamlet -- priding themselves on their private golf and country club,

fancy homes, pleasant family atmosphere and upper-class demographics.

However, Cromwell shatters this image when he points out that Mesa

Verde lacks neighborhood spirit (and much more) without the advantage of

a high-performing high school. The keystone to every neighborhood is the

local high school; and without Estancia, Mesa Verde will continue to be

fragmented and home prices will never reach their full potential.

Likewise, without Mesa Verde students and families, Estancia High will

continue to be an abandoned shadow of its fine past.

I am proud to say that I am a recent alumnus of Estancia and also a

resident of Mesa Verde. It was frustrating to be one of the few Mesa

Verde kids attending Estancia. Most of my neighborhood friends who went

to California Elementary and/or TeWinkle Middle School with me

transferred out at various points along the path. They went off to

Newport Harbor, Costa Mesa, Corona del Mar, Edison, Mater Dei or Calvary

Chapel instead of the black sheep that sits atop Goat Hill. What did they

gain by transferring out of the Estancia zone? Well, as far as I can see,

only a longer commute to school.

I received an education that was just as good, if not better, than any

one of them got. True, there were probably larger percentages of students

at their schools who received such an education, but it is offered at

Estancia nonetheless.

However, during the past decade, Estancia has become increasingly

unbalanced with more low-end students than high-end ones. Enrollment has

declined, and curricular and extracurricular programs have been affected.

Still a good school? You bet. Could it be better? Definitely.

Cromwell suggests selling Estancia and combining its student body with

Costa Mesa High to create a “super school.” He has the right ideas about

creating something excellent the whole city could be proud of, but I

believe that Estancia has the potential to be a “super” school in its own

right. When something is in trouble, you do not just abandon it. You

embrace it.

There is no excuse for Estancia’s present state. We need to invest our

children and our support into our neighborhood high school and create

something we can all be proud of. Imagine if every Mesa Verde student

went to Estancia. Academic, athletic and arts programs would all improve.

The time that parents would save on driving their kids to other schools

could instead be devoted to PTA and foundation support. Everyone in Mesa

Verde would know each other, and all the fancy cars would sport Estancia

Pride bumper stickers. Friday night football games against Costa Mesa

would be a chance for the whole community to come together, as would

drama productions (which are already the best in Orange County.) Who

cares if your kid is not on the field or on stage? Your neighbor’s kid

would be.

Meanwhile, imagine a neighborhood with higher home prices and a

waiting list. No longer would Costa Mesa be in anyone’s shadow. Maybe the

Westside would improve, too. By sending your kids to their rightful

school, you would only be helping yourself. Mesa Verde has the resources

to harbor a National Blue Ribbon School; all we need is some vision,

community effort and faith. In conclusion, Cromwell is addressing the

right issues.

Unfortunately, he offers a lazy solution the “Estancia problem;” a

problem that he and his family are part of. He ends his with “I’d love to

send my boys to Costa Mesa High School because they sure aren’t headed to

Estancia.”

This community needs to realize that the problem is not with Estancia,

but with the community that surrounds it. Estancia has all the makings of

greatness: nice, sound facilities, a good administration, talented

students and a superb faculty. All it needs is your teenager.

If every Mesa Verde student went to Estancia, the demographics would

radically change, and we would have a wonderfully diverse high school.

Diversity was one of the things I loved most about Estancia. So much

education is offered through it. However, Estancia’s scales need to be

more balanced. Today, it performs well compared to other high schools

like it, but think how much better it would be if it were more diverse.

Let’s indeed face our demographics and be proud of them. Let’s show

Orange County what a great community Mesa Verde and the Westside could

make.

If you are looking for ways to improve your community and your quality

of life and you want to make your neighborhood the place it should be,

look no further than the top of Placentia hill. Mesa Verde residents are

only shooting themselves in the foot by not sending their kids to

Estancia. Until Costa Mesa recognizes that we need to invest in our own

schools, we will remain in a state of “almost-greatness.” Think it’s

just a pipe dream?

Let’s find out. The time to take back Estancia is now. Do not write

off Estancia High. It needs us, and we need it. More than you think.

* BRET TABOADA is a Costa Mesa resident.