Scores of parents and teachers paraded before Sebastopol Union School Board members Thursday night as officials wrestle with turning three schools into two next fall.
Pine Crest School is slated for closure at the end of the school year as the Sebastopol school district faces a $500,000 shortfall from its $3 million to $3.5 million general fund budget.
"We all treasure Pine Crest School, its students, programs, staff and faculty," board president Deborah Drehmel said. "It is more than bittersweet that our enrollment is no longer able to support three schools."
The board is expected to make a final decision on district reconfiguration at its regular meeting next Thursday.
The closure of the Hayden Avenue campus will save between $350,000 and $400,000, according to district officials. They said they expect to lease the Pine Crest campus to Sebastopol Independent Charter School.
In an animated meeting that featured equal parts cheers and tears from the audience of approximately 130 people, the majority of speakers gave passionate support to Pine Crest's multi-age program which groups kindergarten through second-graders in classrooms together, and third- through fifth-graders together.
"I picked this school not because of the building but because of teachers and I will follow them wherever they go," said Jodie Randall, who has three children in Sebastopol schools.
Board members acknowledged steep enrollment declines that have seen the number of students in the district's three schools fall from 1,400 15 years ago to 700 today.
"It is absolutely true we are going through very trying economic times and very trying declining enrollment times," Drehmel said.
Park Side School is expected to stay intact as a kindergarten- through fifth-grade campus because it is an International Baccalaureate candidate and that program prohibits campuses from merging with non-IB programs.
But a number of parents expressed concern with a subcommittee's recommendation to combine Pine Crest's kindergarten- through fifth-grade population with the students at Brook Haven Middle School.
"All we ask is that Brook Haven is made safe for the kids," said parent Leslie Cummings, speaking in support of the move while expressing concern about mixing older and younger children. "This prepares them for life because in life you are not going to have things the same every time."
Cindy Holland, who has one child at Pine Crest and two at Brook Haven, said middle school teachers are familiar with all students, which will help with the new format.
"These teachers are not going to let our K-5 kids be eaten alive by the middle schoolers," she said.
Many parents, like Lisa Koretsky, said they chose Pine Crest specifically for the multi-age program and pleaded with board members to keep that program intact wherever the students and teachers end up next year.
"I firmly believe it works and I don't want the idea to die," she said. "I don't want any parents to be afraid of older kids. Please give them the opportunity to rise up and be role models and they will."
Staff writer Kerry Benefield writes an education blog at extracredit.blogs.pressdemo-
crat.com. She can be reached at kerry.benefield@pressdemo-
crat.com or 526-8671.
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