An Open Letter to Sacramento’s Central City Residents
Thursday, November 17th
Dear Fellow Parents and Neighbors:
Meetings such as the one held last night at West Campus are an essential part of American Democracy. We should be proud that so many made time to attend that important meeting, and advocate so eagerly for a part in the process.
SCUSD is looking for opportunities to, “replicate high-performing, high-demand programs; maximize resources and reduce inefficiencies; build on current school turnaround efforts; eliminate student waitlists; and expand schools that have successful programs.” Our organization has been involved in this discussion for many years. In our considered opinion, there are FIVE possible opportunities for the SCUSD Board to consider, as it relates to facilities utilization at area high schools. They are as follows:
1) Maintain the status quo; change no facilities. Work to improve all existing options.
2) Relocate the West Campus programs and students to the Sacramento High School campus and the Sacramento Charter High School (St. Hope) programs and students to the West Campus campus. A complimentary comprehensive program would be housed on the Sacramento High School campus along with the West Campus community to create a high performing neighborhood high school with West Campus as an integral, yet thematically independent, part of the overall school community.
3) Co-Locate West Campus and St. HOPE on the Sacramento High School Campus.
4) Combine Sutter Middle School & Kit Carson Middle School on the Kit Carson campus, and open a new high school at the Sutter campus. (No change at West Campus or St. HOPE.)
5) Combine Sutter Middle School & Kit Carson Middle School on the Sutter campus, and open a new high school at the Kit Carson campus. (No change at West Campus or St. HOPE.)
The Sacramento Comprehensive High School Coalition has formed its own opinion as to which of the five options above best meets the needs of our community: we are advocating for a SWAP of West Campus with St. HOPE. Our opinion is based on a careful study of the alternatives, and harbors no secret agenda. We are volunteers to this cause, and we could use your help.
West Campus would continue to be a small learning community but would have the ability to avail itself to the facilities and opportunities of a comprehensive high school.
Sacramento Charter High School, a successful program in its own right, could be relocated to the West Campus facility rather than continue to underutilize the comprehensive high school campus at Sacramento High School. While enrollment at Sacramento Charter High School is at approximately 870 students, the Sacramento High School campus it currently inhabits is intended to house more than 2,200 students. Under this scenario, Sacramento Charter High School would have access to athletic facilities and other amenities on the 17 acre West Campus site, while being located at a campus more appropriately-sized for its enrollment and small school design.
A comprehensive high school with an attendance boundary alongside West Campus would:
· Give the Central City/old Sacramento High School attendance area a comprehensive pedestrian friendly neighborhood high school.
· Provide an opportunity to create high performing college prep and other programs, such as a performing arts academy or professional internship programs, which would complement and build on the success of West Campus. This will provide more educational options for students in the Sacramento High School area and help reclaim students who have left the District because of a lack of options.
· Better serve English Language Learners and Special Ed students.
· Provide a safe learning environment on a campus big enough to have separate wings of the school for both programs.
· Offer West Campus students and students at the comprehensive component an opportunity to take advantage of high school amenities, such as a newly refurbished swimming pool, library, theater, gyms, playing fields and state of the art science labs.
· Make possible the development of more elective courses for West Campus students by providing the necessary "critical mass" for music, art, etc. This economy of scale would also help preserve programs at West Campus that would be threatened by further expected budget cuts.
· Relieve the overcrowding at McClatchy High School and Kennedy High School, allowing those schools to grow successful programs that currently have waiting lists.
We sincerely believe the SWAP offers the best long-term solution for our kids, and our community. We encourage those who wish to learn more about this issue, and our Coalition, to visit us on Facebook, or via email schsc@live.com.
Yours sincerely,
Sacramento Comprehensive High School Executive Committee
James Broderick Bob Hammes Phil Pluckebaum Susie Shields Diann Tratos
