This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

School Board Unanimously Votes to Close Moiola

After two months of deliberation, the Fountain Valley School Board unanimously decided to close Fred Moiola K-8.

The Fountain Valley School District’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously at its regular meeting Thursday night to close Fred Moiola K-8 school.

“Throughout this process I have struggled,” said board member Jimmy Templin, whose nephews attend Moiola. “It feels like preparing for a funeral."

Since October, Moiola staff and parents have passionately advocated to keep Moiola and its unique K-8 option available to parents. The district faces a $2 million budget deficit that will only get larger should Sacramento decide to cut more education funding. Moiola’s closure is estimated to save at least $375,000 a year.

Find out what's happening in Fountain Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Closing schools is never a good thing,” said Kirk Hayhurst, one of three public speakers that night. He compared closing a school “to dropping a bomb on a neighborhood”.

Closing Moiola was especially difficult not only for Templin but also for board member Sandra Crandall. “I was privileged to work with this staff for 19 years,” said Crandall near the verge of tears. “This is one of the most difficult decisions we’ve had to make”.

Find out what's happening in Fountain Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

After the decision, Moiola parents gathered outside the district office to express their concerns about what to do next.

“My children keep asking me ‘Where are our friends going?’” said Moiola mother Laurie Zone.

“There are also kids outside Moiola’s boundaries who transferred in,” said Julia Grudt, another Moiola mother. “It’s unknown where they’ll go."

Others harbored resentment not only about the decision, but also because they believe it had already been preconceived before the closure committee began to meet.

“If the committee had recommended not to close a school, they would have,” speculated Lisa Allen, one of the mothers in charge of Save Our Schools. “There will be ramifications for the decision”.

“I am absolutely disappointed and disheartened that we never stood a chance,” said Michelle Holbrook, a Moiola mother who was very vocal against closing the school. “I believe the decision was made long before the proceedings”.

Moiola staff will have to deal with the difficultly of announcing to their 453 students that everyone will be going their separate ways.

“As a staff we’re there to support our students in the transition to come,” said Moiola Principal Erin Bains.  “It’s sad.  We love our kids, our staff, and our community."

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?