As Ocean View School District holds a special meeting in November on whether to consolidate, close, repurpose or leave alone four of its schools, it has 19 recommendations to consider from a task force meant to help the decision-making process.
The task force was convened earlier this year to determine if four schools — Circle View, Village View and Golden View elementary schools as well as Spring View Middle School — should close due to declining enrollment in the district or if schools should otherwise be consolidated or repurposed.
The school board scheduled a special study session on Tuesday, Nov. 7 to assess the results of the task force’s recommendations, said Trustee Jack Souders. Those 19 ideas will be whittled down to nine options after that November meeting, he said.
The task force’s recommendations were split into four categories: innovative, instructional, financial and property management suggestions.
Property management suggestions include leasing unused properties before closing them or developing empty sites for senior living, employee housing or sports complexes.
The task force also took a look at options with Spring View Middle in Huntington Beach. It suggested the middle school be remodeled to be able to house an elementary school for grades kindergarten through fifth. Its middle school students, the task force said, could be moved to the three other middle schools within the district.
In all, the task force said, three elementary schools could be consolidated into Spring View. And the current middle school, according to the task force, could also become home for OVSD’s office in Huntington Beach.
The district could consolidate Golden View Elementary with College View Elementary, the task force also suggested.
Its innovative ideas for the district include identifying elective programs that could be moved from the four targeted schools to other sites in the district, making Golden View’s farm (a petting zoo and garden attached to the school) as a field trip destination for other sites or enticing teachers to retire.
During an October meeting of the task force, OVSD Superintendent Michael Conroy said the district is overstaffed by at least 22 teachers because of the lower student enrollment, costing the district an estimated $2.3-3.5 million.
As for instructional ideas, the task force recommended opening Golden View’s farm to other school districts for a rental fee, offering instructional programs that aren’t available at other nearby districts and developing new innovative curricula at its schools.
The task force also suggested returning all students in the “Gifted and Talented Education” programs to their home schools to complete their education. Students who qualify for GATE are offered a unique, advanced education program at Circle View and Star View elementary schools as well as Mesa View Middle School. Qualifying students transfer from their home schools to these campuses to complete the program, but the task force recommended the program be offered at their home schools instead.
As for financial ideas, OVSD could address over-staffing as a cost-saving method, the task force suggested, or look for grants and other creative funding approaches for campus improvement projects.
There will not be a vote during the special meeting, but Board President Patricia Singer said one is expected within the following months.
At the final task force meeting on Oct. 12, the results of an anonymous survey completed last month by members were unveiled. In the survey, 22 respondents favored a plan to consolidate and repurpose schools, targeting one or two per designed year. However, 14 respondents said it would be better to consolidate schools all at once.
The task force, convened by district officials in February, is made up of more than 40 members from around the OVSD community, including parents and teachers.
OVSD has grappled with the decision to consolidate, close or repurpose four schools in the district in recent months because of a dwindling student population and the effects that has had on the district.
Board Vice President Gina Clayton-Tarvin has said she does not want to see schools closed or consolidated.
“As a parent of the district and a faithful member of the board, this is not the direction I will vote on nor foresee happening,” Clayton-Tarvin said.
OVSD — which serves parts of Huntington Beach, Westminster, Fountain Valley and Midway City — is home to more than 6,809 students across 15 schools. The district has had a drop of about 2,600 students since 2013, and it most recently closed Sun View Elementary in Huntington Beach in 2018 due to the lack of enrollment.
