Problems at Foohtill Elementary

According to a recent memo from the Principal of Foothill Ranch Elementary, traffic around the school may be even worse than suspected. Anyone who has ever been there in the morning when students are dropped off, or in the afternoon when they are picked up, knows that there is one heck of a traffic problem. Part of the problem comes from the school’s location. For most people there is only one way in, which results in lots of congestion. Another part of the problems comes from the numbers of children at the school. Though for years the School District denied that the school was “overcrowded”, they recently changed their position. As more children come to the school from the auto center developments (Brookfield and Trumark) and from Baker Ranch, the traffic problem has grown worse.

The Principal’s note identified problems with the cross walks, with children climbing the hill behind Ralphs, and with the parking lot itself. Basically the problems are

• Students wandering off the path and vandalizing sprinkler heads
• Students being unloaded in the public street instead of the parking lot
• Students crossing the street and coming out from between two parked cars
• Parents driving on the wrong side of the street
• Parents leaving their cars unattended while walking their kids to school
• Parents parking in spots reserved for the staff and the handicapped

It’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Almost everything that happens in and around the school is the responsibility of the school District. That includes the size of the school, the size and nature of the parking lot, the number of students assigned, the start and stop times for classes, etc.

The City, for some reason, pays for the costs of the crossing guards, but otherwise has no say in what happens.

With the appointment of a new District Superintendent this is the chance for the City to sit down with Dr. Turner and the School Board and talk about ways to improve these conditions which are not limited to Foothill Elementary.

Scott Voigts and I will be meeting with the City Manager to talk about a series of topics. We will present these to the Council as a whole, and then contact the School District. Here are some of the topics I’ve identified.

Overcrowding at Foothill Ranch and Portola elementary

• What is the current census?
• What are the trends?
• What percent of the local population is being served?

Traffic problems at Foothill Ranch and Madera

• What is the nature of the problem? (e.g., wait time, accidents)
• What can be done to improve conditions (e.g., Staggered start and end times, Use of buses to carry children)

Funding of crossing guards

• Why is this cost a City expense?
• How much in development fees has the District received from Lake Forest projects?
• Where has this money been spent?

Spending on Lake Forest schools

Possibilities of building new schools

• Given the current trends and homes being built, what is the projection for the schools we have? Do we have a shortfall?

After school programs

• What is being offered and by whom? Who is paying and who should pay what?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Jim Gardner is on the City Council for Lake Forest. You can check him out on LinkedIn and/or Facebook and you can share your thoughts about the City at Lake Forest Town Square on Facebook. His comments are not meant to reflect official City Policy.

Dr. Gardner has office hours every Tuesday from 4 pm to 6 pm at the City Hall. In addition, he holds a Town Hall meeting every quarter. The next meeting will be on May 20 at the Foothill Ranch Public Library.