School officials support sciences

Newport-Mesa kids need a bridge to the 21st century.

That’s the message Newport-Mesa school board members said they were sending when they voted Tuesday for a new science, math and technology magnet to take the place of Davis Elementary in the fall.

“In the 21st century, what are we doing to teach our kids so that they will compete?” asked board member Karen Yelsey. “The U.S. is missing from the list of the top 10 science and math countries. It’s confirmed that we lagged behind many other industrial countries. With the U.S. confronting the largest job losses since 1945, it’s something we have to look at.”

Board members voted 6-1 to have the district’s first magnet school focus on math and science, with only member Michael Collier, a former music teacher, voting against.

District staff hadn’t tipped their choice one way or the other.

“There was no clear preference for [a] Math, Science and Technology [magnet], or [a] Creative, Visual and Performing Arts [magnet],” according to a report by Susan Astarita, the district’s assistant superintendent of elementary education.

Also, neither type of magnet would clearly cost more, the report states.

As a result, board members had the choice of either one, as well as a school that would combine the two.

But when it came to the choice, most members said they worried that picking “all of the above” would dilute the magnet and make it harder to hire suitable teachers.

“I’ve tried and tired to find a way to say there’s a way to do this together,” board member Judith Franco said. “I don’t really think there is.”

Members have met several times since the school year began to discuss the fate of Davis Elementary, which will no longer be needed as a regular school when all campuses hold grades K-6.

After sending out surveys and holding focus groups around the area, district staff said there was interest in either an arts magnet, or a math and science magnet.

Tuesday was the first time, however, that board members could cast a vote.

The revamped Davis Elementary is planned to start in September.

Though members voted mostly in unison, a few had argued strongly for the performing and visual arts.

The final motion passed by the board acknowledged those requests, asking for the school’s focus be “not at the exclusion of the arts.” Some options discussed by board members to bring the arts into the school were clubs or other optional programs.

“I heard that,” Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard said.

“Math, science and technology will be a major focus, but not at the exclusion of teaching the whole child.”

MICHAEL ALEXANDER may be reached at (714) 966-4618 or at michael.alexander@latimes. com.