SCHOOLS: Fairmeadow parents blast move proposal

Superintendent Phillips says he will reconsider recommendation to move elementary school

"Welcome to Palo Alto," said an angry Fairmeadow School parent to Superintendent Don Phillips at a town hall meeting on Monday night. More than 200 people showed up that night to hear what reasons Phillips had to move their school--and to give him their two cents.

After hearing the overwhelming support to keep the school at its East Meadow Drive site, Phillips told the crowd that he would not be recommending a move for Fairmeadow at the next school board meeting on Nov. 18. But he didn't rule out the possibility completely.

"(My staff and I) are going to sit down with the information about the issues that were discussed at the town hall meeting," Phillips said. "We also have to look at the longer term trend of the district."

Phillips said that a meeting with Fairmeadow teachers on Monday afternoon gave him the same input as the parents--keep the school where it is.

"I think (the teacher's) perspective is that the gains they would get from moving (to the Old Ohlone site) would not outweigh the disruption of moving or the work they have put into the Fairmeadow campus," Phillips said.

The two main focuses of Phillips' plan to move the school are: moving to the Old Ohlone site puts the school in a more central part of the attendance area, and moving Hoover, an alternative school, to the Fairmeadow site would make it easier for parents who already drop children off at neighboring J.L. Stanford Middle School.

The parents at the Fairmeadow town hall meeting did not see the positives of these points.

"First of all, I don't see how moving the school 500 yards (to the Old Ohlone site) puts the school in the center of the attendance area," said Donna Laird, mother of a third grader at Fairmeadow, during the public input time.

Other parents pointed out that East Charleston Road is a four-lane road, as opposed to East Meadow Drive, which only has two lanes. Thus, Charleston could more easily accommodate traffic going to Hoover.

But perhaps the biggest bone parents had to pick with the school district administration was the lack of information. Many parents said they did not receive the news that Fairmeadow might by moving until Nov. 6, when the school newsletter went home. To make matters worse it came before a four-day weekend, so some did not know until other parents called to let them know.

"There is a perception that South Palo Altans are disenfranchised and disempowered from North Palo Alto," parent Sherry Cassidy told the Superintendent. "Last minute additions to the (building) plan is very perceptible."

Cassidy also noted that it came at a time when Fairmeadow Principal June Schiller was not available to hear parent input because she was leaving the school to take the position of director for building development on the building project.

Fairmeadow parents have started a grass roots campaign to get their side out, including calling school administrators, local newspapers, school board members and soon-to-be school board members.

Current board member Don Way said that most of the messages he has received called for Fairmeadow to remain where it is, though at least two people said they were in favor of the move, Way said Tuesday.

Both Way and school board president John Tuomy said they have been in favor of the superintendent's plan, but would wait to make a decision until after they spoke with Phillips this week.

"Obviously the Fairmeadow parents are very concerned," Tuomy said. "But we have to be weighing what's good for the whole district."

--Charlie Breitrose

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