Second Chance for Neighborhood Schools Resolution

The following resolution was adopted by the SCUSD District Advisory Committee on May 14th. It will be presented to the SCUSD board at the meeting on May 16th by Leo Cauchon.  If you'd like to help him present it in its entirety by attending the meeting and filling our a comment card, meet Leo at the back of the baord meeting room at the Serna Center at 6:15. The item is on the agenda for Public Comment at  6:55 PM.
 
 
WHEREAS, the Sacramento City Unified School District of Education (Board) has received documents and heard oral presentations, including presentations by the public, regarding the recommended "wise sizing" of school facilities at its regular meetings in March, April and May; and
 
WHEREAS, vigorous neighborhood opposition was expressed at community meetings held at the school sites for the proposed School Closures; and
 
WHEREAS, the proposed School Closures will decrease, District wide, the quality of the curricula and educational programs which are currently dispersed among most traditional neighborhoods to the detriment of the learning environment and supports for neighborhood students, especially those with the highest needs, of the Sacramento City Unified School District (District ) and
 
WHEREAS, the proposed School Closures serve to increase the ongoing costs of keeping open empty facilities and divert funding of the District's educational programs to busing, crossing guards, portable relocation as well as increasing any deficit gap caused by federal funding cuts, Average Daily Attendance (ADA) loss, and the loss of one-time federal funds and rising costs; and
 
WHEREAS, the proposed School Closures involve potentially significant walking safety risks; and
 
WHEREAS, the proposed School Closures have a significant effect on the environment by increasing the original design capacity for restrooms, cafeteria, playing fields and other common areas at the receiving schools by more than 25% or ten classrooms; and
 
WHEREAS, the District's enrollment, over the past three years has stabilized, including an increasing student population in the primary grades as documented by California Department of Education (CDE) reports; and
 
WHEREAS, the closures will have a cumulative impact and a significant effect on Hispanic and African American plurality neighborhoods; and
 
WHEREAS, Proposition 30, Governor Brown’s May Budget Revision, and the expanding economy have significantly improved funding for public education and thus disproportionate effects on Hispanic and African-American plurality schools can now be avoided; and
 
WHEREAS, effective ideas including dependent charters, school clustering and other options to School Closures have been generated by site transition teams but need equitable time for consideration;
 
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education hereby finds and determines as follows:
 
1. Adopts the foregoing recitals as true and correct and incorporates all determinations and findings therein by this reference.
 
2. Approves the neighborhood school recommendations, as presented to the Board, to keep Clayton B. Wire, Collis P. Huntington, Fruit Ridge, Joseph Bonnheim, Maple, Mark Hopkins and Washington open for the 2013-14 school year.
 
3. Finds that the recommendations are "categorically exempt" from the provisions of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.18 and section 15314 of the Guidelines.
 
4. Directs the Superintendent to create design teams for all district schools.
 
5. Further directs the Superintendent to take such further action as necessary to carry out this Resolution.