Take that North Natomas!

Is it that the bloggers are getting mad and word travels fast? Is it the rapid rise in crime in the area? Perhaps it's that the school district seems to think they're brilliant and wonderful managers. Either way, North Natomas is about to take another major hit over the head. This time, it's in the form of a community day school set on the same campus as a brand new elementary school.

That's right folks. The NUSD believes it can best serve the community by placing a group of students who need psychological services, have been expelled and have massive attendance problems right on your brand new elementary school! The Natomas Community Day School will, of course, be a heavily supervised well run program. Because we've seen the district is so good at that. (Can you taste the dripping sarcasm yet?)

For some unknown and unpublicized logic, the district is no longer interested in using the Sacramento County system of Community Day schools that are already established. They say they want to keep these students closer to home for easier reintegration. I believe it's a justification for a massive junior high school that will stand unused this year because of NUSD's poor financial management.

Despite what their information says, this is not "scare tactics." I have personally been the assistant vice principal at an alternative school where nearly all of my students had parole officers and had been in and out of juvenile hall. I'm not "scared" of these students and they deserve every opportunity to recover from years of bad parenting.

However, even I wouldn't be as bold and ignorant to put them on an elementary school campus and then promise the public that everything is fine because they'll be supervised. The things I've seen would shock any adult and not things you would ever want your adorable kindergarten son walking into in a boy's bathroom.

If you have a child who will attend Allen Hight Elementary or you live in the Creekside neighborhood or the far west side of Natomas Park, I suggest you get on the phone today and begin screaming and yelling about this decision. As best I can tell from old board agendas, the district waited until school was out to have a public hearing (on June 19th) and review the proposal. Their supposed "higher ratio" of teachers to students only includes a budget for one teacher and one social worker/administrator. That's a pretty bad ratio for a one room campus of troubled students.

I agree with the idea that Natomas students would be best served by a community school in our area. However, it makes the most sense to either put it on Natomas High's campus or locate it at Discovery High. Sharing resources and facilities with a school that is already equip to deal with older students makes the most sense. Instead, the district has chosen to do what it usually does- make a hasty last minute decision that is illogical and lacks vision.