Closure Committee: API Won't Be Factor in Recommendation

Academic standing, or a school’s academic performance index score, will not be used to evaluate each of Fountain Valley’s elementary schools.

The 19-member School Boundaries and Closure Committee of the Fountain Valley School District came to few other significant agreements at its meeting Tuesday night on criteria that will be used . The extensive deliberation between committee members reflects the potentially contentious nature of the decision at hand, a move that could save the district $400,000.

For Julia Lynch, a committee member and parent of two children at Fred Moiola K-8 School, the back-and-forth conversation over criteria points was a positive development. Enrollment of each school and the size of the campuses were some of the issues deliberated, eliciting some disagreement between members.

She said the active discussion and questioning was missing from previous meetings.

“This is the first real meeting where there have been a free-flowing discussion between the committee members,” Lynch said. “I think more thought has been put into this meeting than any of the others.”

The committee needs to propose a school for closure to the school board by September. While that will be used to evaluate each of the district’s schools has already been decided, there is still a lot that needs to be resolved. A discussion over whether different pieces of criteria would be weighted garnered a vote. The formula to decide enrollment was also discussed. 

“They’re really thinking things through,” said Steve McMahon, assistant superintendent for business. “There are different points of view. It’s not a group that is being led or forced into picking a direction. They’re making up their mind about what’s important and what isn’t.” 

The thought that Moiola could be selected for potential closure is a hot-button issue for Lynch. The seven school closure board meetings have brought out a comparatively large number of Moiola parents, who fear their school might be selected for closure. 

The only K-8 school in the district, Lynch said she treasures the fact that all the faculty know and support her fourth- and fifth-grade children. She said that she takes comfort in the idea that this kind of support will continue to be there when they enter middle school at the same site in future years, and encouraged further discussion before any decision is made. 

“The bottom line is nothing solid has been decided on and that is good,” Lynch said. “People need to get home and think about it and really look at the number. Take their time with it. Decide truly what is important instead of rushing through the process to be done with it and going on with summer vacation.”

The next committee meeting is scheduled for July 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Fountain Valley School District office.