CCMIN120694 - Laserfiche WebLink

Jennifer Hosterman 2922 Chardonnay Drive Pleasanton, CA 94566 (510) 462-8195 December 6, 1994 Re: Del Prado School Site Dear City Council Members: The Pleasanton School District has opted to sell two parcels, including the 7+ acre Del Prado si~e, in favor of building new facilities in dlfferenE locations. Those new locations, such as the Stoneridge site, have been selected due to a combination of factors, including in part: 1. Demographic studies which may or may not correctly identify areas of future student growth; 2. Future student numbers based upon developer's plans for new neighborhoods; and 3. Ability of the School District to raise money for those new sites. The School District has been handed a map for growth by developers, and asked to figure out a way to pay for new students through build-out of the City. Unfortunately, due to current mechanisms available to fund such growth, the School District is in fact planning for future students, to the detriment of the current stndent population. There is no question but that the District has forced local schools to a state of "over-capacity" in order to secure funding for future growth. For instauce, the District recognizes the magic number of students at the elementary school level to be approximately 60~, yet two of our elementary schools have student populations in excess of 9~, each. Its clear that there is something fundamentally wrong with this picture. Developers, with help from current State legislation, are dictating the future of not only the City, but also public education. Developers, in a frenzy to pad their own pockets, are loisring future growth prob]ems on the backs of our children, now in the system. We are derelict in our responsibility to our kids if we do not recognize and put a stop to this crazy, chaotic way of doing business.