KHSD hosts public forum for boundary changes

HAVE BEEN AGAINSTSINCE THE NEWS CAME OUT.

A NEWSCHOOL IN SOUTHEASTBAKERSFIELD MAY CAUSE STUDENTSTO CHANGE WHERE THEY GETTHEIR EDUCATION.

THE KERN HIGHSCHOOL DISTRICT IS LOOKING FORINPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY ONTHEIR PLANS AND AS 23ABC'S KYLIEWALKER FINDS OUT, TONIGHT'SMEETING TO DISCUSS ALL THATWAS MET WITH CRITICISM BUT ONEPROPOSAL STOOD OUTABOVE THE REST.IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS ACOMMITTEE WITH KHSD HASDEVELOPED PROPOSED MAPS FOR ABOUNDARY CHANGE WITH TOPENING OF DEL ORO HIGH SCHOOLNEXT YEAR.

BUT THOSE MAPS ARENOT SET IN STONE, SO ON TUESDAY,FAMILIES HAD ACHANCE TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ONTHESE PROPOSED MAPS.DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH ANDPLANNING "WE WISH WE DIDN'T HAVETO DO BOUNDARY CHANGES ..

WEWISH FOLKS COULD STAY AT THESAME SCHOOL FOREVER ..

BUT THEREALITY IS THAT THE ENROLLMENTIS JUST GETTING TOO LARGE."THESE BOUNDARY CHANGES SPARKINGDEBATE IN A PUBLIC FORUM TUESDAYNIGHT .."WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE CULTUREOF A SCHOOL?

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SPORTS, PARENTINVOLVEMENT, ALUMNI, THOSE AREMAJORIMPACTS ON THIS SCHOOL..

THEPROPOSED CHANGESCOMPLETELY CHANGE THAT FORBAKERSFIELD HIGH SCHOOL."AND MANY FAMILIES FEAR THEYWOULD LOSE THAT IF STUDENTS WEREREQUIRED TO CHANGE SCHOOLS."I AM CREATING SO MANY MEMORIESAND WOULD BE SO SAD IF ALL THESEKIDS INCLUDING MY BROTHER ANDSISTER, CAN'T CREATE THOSESAME MEMORIES LATER ON."THE KERN HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT ISHOSTING THEIR SECOND PUBLICFORUM THIS MONTH, ALLOWING FORCOMMUNITY INPUT ON THE 3PROPOSED BOUNDARY MAPS, WHICHWOULD REQUIRESTUDENTS TO MOVE SCHOOLS TO HELPEASE WHAT SOME CALLAN OVERCROWDING ISSUE.

STILL,SOME PARENTS DISAGREE."WE TOOK THE BOLD STEP OFSELLING OUR HOUSE ANDBUYING A NEW HOUSE IN STOCKDALEESTATES SO THAT MY CHILDRENCOULD GO TO BHS."THESE MAPS WERE DEVELOPED BY ACOMMITTEE EARLIER THIS YEAR .PROMPTING QUESTIONS FROM THECOMMUNITY."WHY ARE THERE FEWER THAN 15PEOPLE MAKING THESERECOMMENDATIONS?

IF EACH SCHOOLSITE PRINCIPAL APPOINTED TWOMEMBERS THERE SHOULD'VE BEENALMOST 40 PEOPLE ON THISCOMMITTEE."ONE MAP DID GET MORE SUPPORTTHAN OTHERS, PROPOSAL NUMBERTHREE.

ROGER SANCHEZ, THEDIRECTOR OF RESEARCH ANDPLANNING FOR THE KERN HIGHSCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS THEY'LL BECOLLECTING INFORMATION FROM EACHFORUM AND SENDING IT TO THEBOARD OF TRUSTEES TO MAKE AFINALDECISION."WHAT IT DOES IS PROVIDE INPUTFOR THE BOARD MEMBERS TO GETA FEEL FOR THE COMMUNITY ANDWHAT THEY LIKE AND WHAT THEYDON'T LIKE AND WHETHER THATINFLUENCES THEIR DECISION ONWHAT PLAN TO PICK ..

THAT'SWHERE THE COMMUNITY INPUT ISREALLY ESSENTIAL."T'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THATPUBLIC COMMENTS CAN BE SUBMITTEDIN PERSON AT THE NEXT FORUM ONJUNE 29TH ..

OR VIA EMAIL.

WEWILL HAVE THIS INFORMATION ..ALONG WITH THOSE PROPOSEDBOUNDARY MAPS..

ON OUR WEBSITETURN TO 23.COM ..

IN BAKERSFIELDI'M KYLIE WALKER CONNECTING YOU.AND IN THE LIVE CENTER NOW --WE WANTED TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOKAT THE DIFFERENCESBETWEEN ALL THREE PROPOSEDBOUNDARY PLANS THE DISTRICT HASPROPOSED.THE MAIN DIFFERENCES YOU'LL SEEIN THESE MAPS -- ISIN THE CENTER AREA.FOR PLAN ONE - MOST OF THE GREENAREA IN THE CENTER ISIN THE CENTER AREA.FOR PLAN ONE - MOST OF THE GREENAREA IN THE CENTER IS ZONED FORWEST HIGH.WHERE THE COMMUNITY INPUT ISREALLY ESSENTIAL."T'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THATPUBLIC COMMENTS CAN BE SUBMITTEDINPERSON AT THE NEXT FORUM ON JUNE29TH ..

OR VIA EMAIL.WILL HAVE THIS INFORMATION ..ALONG WITH THOSE PROPOSEBOUNDARY MAPS..

ON OUR WEBSITETURN TO 23.COM ..

IN BAKERSFIELDI'M KYLIE WALKER CONNECTING YOU.AND IN THE LIVE CENTER NOW -WE WANTED TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOKAT THE DIFFERENCESBETWEEN ALL THREE PROPOSEDBOUNDARY PLANS THE DISTRICT HASPROPOSED.FOR PLAN ONE - MOST OF THE GREENAREA IN THE CENTER IZONED FOR WEST HIGH.BUT IF YOU LOOK AT PLAN TWO --IT SPLITS OFF THE VERY SOUTHERNTIP OF THAT AREA.

WITH THENORTHERN PART OF LAURELGLENZONED FOR STOCKDALE HIGH, ANDTHE SOUTHERN PARTZONED FOR INDEPENDENCE HIGH.

ANDIN PLAN THREE - FOOTHILL'SBOUNDARIES AREALSO ALTERED.THE NORTHWEST IS THE ONLY SCHOOLOUT OF ALL THE PLANSTHAT'S COMPLETELY UNAFFECTED.ALL THREE PROPOSALS SHOWRE-DRAWING WHEHIGHLAND, EAST BAKERSFIELD,NORTH AND BAKERSFIELDHIGH SCHOOLS MEET.