A Show of Support for Aliso Elementary at School Board Meeting

More than 120 supporters wearing “SAVE ALISO” T-shirts crowded the Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Education meeting Tuesday night, where they questioned the transparency of the process that

During public comments, Aliso supporters implored the board to observe fairness  when choosing which schools to close in the face of a budget crisis and declining enrollment.

“I would encourage the board to see if due diligence was done in selecting Aliso,” said Allyson Shimasaki, an Aliso parent who also sits on the Facilities Advisory Committee, a of , Linda Vista and Trabuco elementary schools as candidates for closure.

Shimasaki told the school board that unlike in past years, when the Facilities Advisory Committee met several times over a period of months to consider school closures, this year’s list of candidates for shuttering was drawn up after two meetings held in one week. She also told the board there was never a vote to approve, recommend or endorse the consultant’s report.

“This is the perfect time to ensure that the proper procedures have been followed,” she said. As she concluded her remarks, the Aliso parents in the room all stood silently to show their support.

Lake Forest City Councilwoman Marcia Rudolph also voiced concerns about closing Aliso, noting that new housing developments planned in Lake Forest could eventually boost the number of students in the district.

“We want to make sure that our students who live in Lake Forest can go to school in Lake Forest,” Rudolph said.

Because school closures were not on the board’s agenda, members said they could not comment upon them during the meeting. But the board appreciated the Aliso supporters' "well-thought out" testimony and will likely direct district staff to look into the issues raised, trustee Don Sedgwick said.

The district is considering school closures as it faces the highest rate of declining enrollment in the county, which costs it $3.8 million a year, officials say. Closing an elementary school saves an average of about $500,000 a year, according to the district.

Trabuco Hills High School teacher Gregg Swensen, the president of the Saddleback Valley Educators Association, said that the district's instructors understand that school closures, while painful, may be necessary.

“We understand you have to do it,” Swensen said. “We the teachers are going to support what you need to do, because we’re for all the kids. It’s a gut-wrenching experience, but we do support the need for it. We will support your tough decision whatever it needs to be.”

In an action that moves the school closure process forward, the board unanimously approved the formation of a Surplus Property Advisory Committee (also known as a "7/11 Committee" because of the legal requirement for it to include between seven and 11 members). The new committee will advise the district about whether the schools targeted for closure are surplus properties that could be leased or sold.

The committee will also examine possible uses for the former campuses of La Tierra and O’Neill elementary schools—both shuttered in 2009—as well as a warehouse on Via Fabricante in Mission Viejo.

But the choice of whether to close schools, and which ones, still rests with the elected school board.

The newly created Surplus Property Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 14 at the Education Center Board Room at 25631 Peter A. Hartman Way in Mission Viejo.