North, Clover in question Tony Biasotti Tracy Press The communities around two of Tracy?s oldest schools will weigh in next week on the future of North Elementary School ? and whether Clover Middle School will have a future. The Tracy Unified School District is entertaining two options on how to accommodate 2,400 new students over the next five years. District trustees have expressed the most interest in a proposal to move Discovery Charter School to Clover?s campus, where it would grow to a K-12 school with 1,260 students. Most Clover students would attend North Elementary, which would be renovated, expanded and turned into a year-round, multi-track K-8 school. The district would also build a new 6-12 school for 1,045 students on a new property outside of town. The other option calls for two adjacent new schools on the same property: a K-12 charter school and a traditional 6-12 school. Before the board of trustees makes its final decision on June 16, the district will hold community meetings at North and Clover to gauge public opinion among parents, teachers and neighborhood residents. The meetings are Tuesday at 6 p.m. at North Elementary, and Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Clover Middle School. Trustee Bill Swenson said the public hearings will be an important exchange of information. Parents and teachers will be able to hear the details of the district?s proposal directly from Superintendent Jim Franco, and district staff will hear the public?s questions and concerns. At a board meeting last week, trustees nearly voted on the plan to move Discovery to Clover, but they stopped short of a vote to give the district time to inform the public and solicit input. ?We probably are leaning toward Clover, but there?s no deal until the final vote and all of the facts are in,? Swenson said. The district is not neglecting the alternate plan ? to build two new schools on the same property ? but the Clover plan requires more research, he said. Trustee Gregg Crandall he expects parents and teachers, especially at Clover, to oppose the plan. ?My kids go to Freiler, and if you came in and told me that ?we?re changing the format, and your kids need to go to another school,? I wouldn?t be too happy about it,? he said. Public opinion at North and Clover will factor heavily into Crandall?s decision. However, he stressed that he must take into account the effect on students in the rest of the district. ?No matter where you turn, someone?s not going to be happy,? he said. ?I won?t make a decision until the last minute ? somebody?s going to have to convince me.? Parents and teachers at Clover have spoken against the plan already. At North School, there has been some interest but little opposition, said principal Fred Medina. ?I?ve had a lot of questions from parents,? he said. ?Mostly, questions about how the school might look and how it might change,? he said. If the board of trustees decides to move the charter school to Clover?s campus, it would move Duncan-Russell High School to Discovery?s site on West 10th Street. Willow Community Day School would then move to Duncan-Russell?s present location. Renovations at North and Clover would begin in 2005 and would finish by 2007. The project would cost about $60 million dollars, most of it coming from the state. Tuesday?s meeting is at 6 p.m. in the multi-purpose room of North Elementary, 2875 Holly Drive. Wednesday?s is at 6 p.m. in the multi-purpose room of Clover Middle School, 51 E. Beverly Place. To reach reporter Tony Biasotti, call 830-4221. Originally published in the Tracy Press on Friday, May 30, 2003 |
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