Plan Would Limit Schools’ Open Enrollment

THOUSAND OAKS —  In a setback for the Conejo Valley’s open enrollment policy, nearly half the district’s schools could be closed next year to children living outside the school boundaries.

The school board is scheduled to decide tonight whether to approve closing 10 of the 18 elementary schools, one of four middle schools and one of three high schools to “choice enrollments” next year, administrators said.

Growing enrollment districtwide and changing demographics have caused overcrowding at some schools and left vacancies at others in the Conejo Valley Unified School District, administrators said.

Some students who live near their neighborhood schools have been forced to attend other schools this year, and waiting lists for certain schools are expected next year as well.

“This is going to be a fact of life for the next two or three years,” said Richard Simpson, assistant superintendent of instruction at the district. “But enrollment trends are funny things. All it takes is one major business to close and you have space for a few hundred more kids.”

Some parents, however, said they believe high test scores and a school’s location in affluent neighborhoods contribute to its desirability--and its enrollment.

Westlake Hills Elementary, nestled in a quiet, tree-lined cul-de-sac in Westlake Village, is already slightly over its 560-student capacity. And administrators expect another 40 students next year.

“Westlake Hills has some of the top test scores for the whole county,” said Gary Izumo, a Westlake Hills parent. “I believe that is a key factor in parents wanting their children to attend Westlake Hills as well as wanting to live within the service area. The test scores reflect the quality education at Westlake Hills.”

Madrona Elementary parent Lyndsay Timpson said parents transfer their students into the Lynn Ranch-area school because of its test scores as well. Those scores rank in the top third in the district for math and language and in the top half for reading.

“It’s the schools that are in lower-income areas. Those are the parents who want to move their children out, and I can understand that,” Timpson said. “But surely we should be accommodating children that live in the immediate area first.”

Timpson and Izumo said it is unfortunate that schools in the district will probably be closed to those outside the boundaries next year. But Izumo said there is not enough room for all of the students who live within Westlake Hills boundaries and therefore no room for those who want to transfer in.

“As chair of the school site council, I would love to see additional dollars allocated to enlarging the school to accommodate not only the students who live within the service area but also students who are lower income and others who would like to participate at our school.”

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The district began its “choice enrollment” program two years ago, but there had been an unofficial policy allowing intra-district transfers before that, Simpson said.

Of the district’s 18,000 students, 90%, or more than 16,000, attend their neighborhood schools, Simpson said. Another 1,800 students choose to attend other schools.

Simpson said the reasons for the transfers are usually geographic; the alternate school is closer to a baby sitter or a parent’s workplace. In some cases, the alternate choice school is even physically closer to the student’s home.

That is the case with Thousand Oaks and Westlake high schools, he said. Thousand Oaks, which is now overcrowded and could be closed to transfers next year, is closer to some students who live within the school boundaries of the more affluent Westlake High. Simpson said he now has requests from 58 students for transfers from Westlake to Thousand Oaks.

Madrona Principal Patricia Adams agreed with Simpson about the reasons for most transfers. “Child care is primarily the reason,” she said. “But sometimes parents just perceive a school is better.”

Simpson and Adams said new housing developments that are bringing new students into the district are causing the overcrowding at Madrona and other schools, despite district planning to deal with those students.

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The district plans to build six new classrooms at Madrona next school year to accommodate the growth.

A new school for the Lang Ranch development in the North Ranch area is also planned. That will alleviate some overcrowding of schools in that area, Simpson said.

Simpson said the best planning sometimes does not help.

Administrators drew new boundaries several years ago to accommodate students who would move into the massive Dos Vientos housing project along Potrero Road.

“But we still don’t have houses out there yet,” he said. “That’s why we have room at those schools.”

At Conejo Elementary School, which is near the Civic Arts Plaza, the neighborhood has become more commercial and less residential, Simpson said. Conejo has a higher-than-average number of limited-English students and, therefore, among the lower test scores, Simpson said. The school has capacity for 435 students, but only 412 attending.

Simpson said some schools, such as Park Oaks Elementary, have more space available because of larger capacity and lower test scores.

Park Oaks, off of Avenida de los Arboles in an older area of Thousand Oaks, has capacity for 650 students and currently has 535 enrolled.

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Principal Leean Nemeroff said 120 of the school’s 535 students have limited English skills, which affects the school’s overall test scores. Some parents, she said, want to transfer their children out for that reason.

“But we also have parents bringing students here by choice,” she said. “It’s easy to think poorly of a school without knowing what it’s about. Test scores shouldn’t be the only criteria parents use.

“But once parents and students come in the door and see our school, they stay.”

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Schools Targeted to Be Closed to Choice Enrollment

Elementary schools:

Acacia

Aspen

Banyan

Glenwood

Ladera

Madrona

Meadows

Weathersfield

Westlake Hills

Wildwood

Middle Schools:

Colina

High Schools:

Thousand Oaks