By DEBBIE ROSEN
Increased kindergarten enrollment at Oceanside schools for 2001-2002 will push the student population in some elementary schools beyond capacity.
Superintendent Dr. Herb Brown addressed the Board of Education at a special budget workshop held Monday, Feb. 5 with the preliminary kindergarten registration numbers at Oceanside elementary schools and plans to relieve the problem. Based on those figures, Schools 3 and 8 will exceed classroom capacity by a minimum of one class over the next three years.
Additionally, the administration anticipates continued enrollment hikes. We expect, as always, to see an additional 50 to 60 [kindergarten] students register before school starts, Brown said.
School 3's 26-classroom facility is filled to capacity and there is no room for expansion, according to school administrators. The real problem is we have 26 regular classrooms and if we continue five sections of classes at each grade level, that goes up to 30 classes needed, says Principal Jeff Schlissel. The flip side is School 5 has the space.
Principal Ron Schoen of School 8 said, We have 24 classes now and anticipate between 24 to 26 [classes], and we're close to guidelines. Schoen said, Construction would give us four classrooms and allow for art and music to be moved from the portable classrooms and come indoors.
For School 3, Brown suggested the board adopt a rezoning plan that would relocate a select number of children. The plan proposes that these children, who would usually start first grade at School 3 next year, would instead attend School 5.
The proposal applies to families living on the following streets: Pine Street, Fairview Avenue in Oceanside, Davison Avenue, Merle Avenue, Homecrest Court, Castleton Avenue, Dalto Court, the part of Foxhurst Road that is west of Oceanside Road, the west side of Oceanside Road north of Pine Street, and north Pine Street from Long Beach Road to Foxhurst Road. First-graders living on these streets would be bussed to School 5, according to the plan.
So far, administrative records show that the rezoning plan applies to nine students. Brown stipulated that children with siblings at School 3 could be grandfathered in if parents wished, which would give parents living in the affected area the option of sending their children to School 3 if they have older siblings already attending.
Part of the space problems will have budgetary implications, Brown said on Monday. In its 2001-2002 budget proposal, the district allots $1.8 million in the capital fund for the construction of four classrooms at School 8.
Part of that money would also be spent on resurfacing 10 tennis courts at the high school. Another $60,000 will be deposited in an air-conditioning fund for the high school.
The district plans to submit the work plans for the high school with the expansion plans at School 8 to the state in the hopes of getting aid for both projects. Assistant Superintendent Louis Frontario said, Latching the asphalt job of the tennis courts at the high school in to the construction figure for classrooms offers the district more of a chance to recoup some of the fee.
A contingency plan for both schools would be put into place if voters do not approve the budget on May 15. School 8 would utilize current resource and academic service rooms for classrooms. School 3 would relocate reading and faculty rooms.
Schlissel said, There is a possibility that students will have art-on-a-cart and music in regular classrooms. To some extent kids need the change of scenery during the course of a school day and a chance to stretch their legs a bit.
