Local REALTORS® keep up with developments by regularly inviting city and school officials to their monthly meetings. In May, top school officials spoke to members of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® about the changes and challenges their districts are facing due to a bulging student population.
Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) Superintendent James Lianides and Menlo Park City School District (MPCSD) Superintendent Maurice Ghysels emphasized the importance of quality schools to the value of property in the area. "Our kids are most important to society and the performance of schools is highly correlated to the value of property in the community," said Ghysels.
Right now, the superintendents both noted enrollment growth is driving changes in both districts. In MPCSD, which has three elementary schools and one middle school, student enrollment has increased 40 percent over the last 10 years. The district currently has about 2,900 students.
A fourth elementary school which will open at the O'Connor campus in 2016 will keep class size low and relieve overcrowding in the other elementary schools. The current Laurel building will house K-2 students and the new building will house grades 3-5 students. Ghysels stressed while Laurel K-5 students will be housed in two campuses, they will be regarded as one Laurel community, with one administration and one set of staff.
Ghysels explained MPCSD is a community-funded district. The bulk of its revenues come from local sources, not the state or federal government, including the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation, which provides 10 percent of the district allotment per student, parcel tax initiatives and bond measures, and other partnerships. While other schools spend about $800 per student, the district is fortunate to be able to spend $11,000 per student.
At MPCSD, focus is not only on academics, but also on the emotional and physical being of each student. "We pay attention to the whole child," said Ghysels. He shared information on the district's partnership with Columbia University via a writer's workshop; on expectations of better assessments through the Common Core State Standards initiative; and on high tech tools like iPads for sixth through eighth graders (fifth graders will have iPads next year).
Lianides said SUHSD seeks to maintain excellence in the schools by addressing a long-standing equity issue and preparing for enrollment growth. Enrollment has increased 20 percent in the last 12 years. The district is expected to grow by another 20 percent or an additional 1,500 students in the next six years.
The $265 million bond measure which passed in the June 3 election will add new classrooms and facilities, including two small school campuses which will be more theme-oriented than the comprehensive schools; allow the district to continue offering a diverse curriculum; and update classroom technology.
"We want to be proactive and prepared to accommodate the growth that is coming our way," said Lianides.
With the passage of the bond measure, Lianides said the district "will hit the ground running," since the buildings will need to be open by the fall of 2016. To address the equity issue and preserve communities, the district is making adjustments to enrollment boundaries of its four high schools, so students can stay in their communities as they transition from middle school to high school.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
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Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.
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