Hollister
– Rumors are flying as to how the Hollister School District’s
plan to create two magnet schools for the 2007-2008 school year
will affect the district – from teacher jobs to which schools
students attend.
Hollister – Rumors are flying as to how the Hollister School District’s plan to create two magnet schools for the 2007-2008 school year will affect the district – from teacher jobs to which schools students attend.
“I’ve heard some concern, but the fact is we just don’t know very much right now,” said Dennis Kurtz, principal of Gabilan Hills School. Gabilan Hills is one of two school sites selected as the future home for a magnet school. “Hopefully these questions will answer themselves with a little time.”
In late July, the HSD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to introduce two new magnet schools to the district for the 2007-2008 school year, in an effort to offer families more choice in their children’s public education and entice parents to enroll their children in HSD schools instead of opting for smaller, rural schools or private schools. Two schools with separate focuses were approved – an Accelerated Achievement School and a Dual Immersion School.
“We want our schools to be the schools of choice for these families,” Trustee Margie Barrios said.
Magnet schools are public schools that tend to focus on one particular subject area or are established with a specific purpose in mind and attract a particular kind of student. Since the 1970s, more than 1,000 magnet schools have been built across the country.
The Dual Immersion School, which will be housed at the Gabilan Hills Campus, is designed to ensure that students not only master state curriculum standards, but also are proficient in both Spanish and English by the time they complete the program.
The Accelerated Achievement School, which will be housed at Ladd Lane School, is designed for students with academic potential and self-discipline. The curriculum is taught at a faster pace than in regular classes, leaving more time for advanced work and in-depth projects.
Both schools are planned to open next fall, with just a few classes. The schools will grow each consecutive year as the original group of students advances and new ones enroll for the first time. The Dual Immersion school will have just a few groups of kindergarten and first-grade students, and the Accelerated Achievement school will have a few classes of upper grades. The portions of the campus not being used for the magnet schools will continue to operate, only they will gradually become Kindergarten through eighth–grade schools (K-8), which is a draw in and of itself for some families, as opposed to kindergarten through fifth-grade schools, which they are currently.
“K-8 schools are better for developing a community,” Kurtz said. “You know that you have older kids watching out for you, and the older students know they have to be role models for the little ones. It works very well.”
In the meantime, however, parents and teachers alike are worried about what the changes will mean in the immediate future – whether district lines will be dramatically redrawn, whether teachers will be able to continue teaching in their current classrooms, and whether students will be involuntarily reassigned to other HSD schools to make room for the magnets. Rumors are spreading that as many as 365 students will have to leave Ladd Lane and Gabilan Hills for other schools come summer.
“I know some teachers are concerned about being left out if they don’t speak Spanish; others are worried about having to give up their classrooms and teach at another site,” Kurtz said.
HSD Superintendent Ron Crates was quick to dispel rumors of student relocation.
“Every student attending Ladd Lane this year will be able to stay next year as well,” he said, adding that the same applies for Gabilan Hills students.
Trustee Dee Brown said that while she didn’t expect 350 students to be relocated, she was concerned about the logistics of making enough space for two new schools in fall 2007.
“Even if it isn’t that many students, saying that no one will have to move is probably unrealistic,” she said. “How do you make room in schools that are already packed?”
Crates said he was disappointed to hear of rumors circulating in the school community.
“That tells me we need to improve communication with our parents and teachers,” he said.
While HSD teachers’ union president Jan Grist would not comment on the nature of any rumors circulating among staff, she said the union does want to see communication improved on the progress of the magnet schools and what they will mean for the district.
“The teachers would like to see a public forum put on by the district for parents at Ladd Lane and Gabilan Hills so they can become informed and know what will happen to their students,” she said. “Another reason we want to see that is so teachers understand exactly what will happen as well.”
Barrios said no parent had expressed any concerns to her about the magnet schools, but encouraged anyone with questions to attend the monthly school board meetings.
“I’m comfortable with this because I’ve had the chance to see the information and ask a lot of questions,” she said. “This isn’t an all-at-once decision. I think that if people attend the meetings they’ll be able to have their questions answered.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
