Parents, Teachers Speak Out At MPUSD Meeting

MONTEREY, Calif. - KSBW.com

An emotional and sometimes confrontational meeting took place in Monterey Monday where the school district is looking at closing some schools and reconfiguring others as a way to save money.

More than 200 people packed the cafeteria at Monterey High to hear more about the district's plans.

One proposal is to make Colton School which is currently kindergarten through eighth grades strictly a middle school. The Colton kindergarteners through fifth graders would be sent to other elementary schools in the district.

But another plan is even more controversial.

The other recommended plan is to shut down Bayview Elementary School, take kindergarten through fifth students and put them, along with Colton's kindergarten through fifth graders, into Monte Vista -- a school the district closed about five years ago under different leadership. Some parents vented their anger at the plan during the meeting.

"We want to save our schools," one parent said.

Bayview alum and now parent Josie Steigman said she was fed up with Monday's town hall format with superintendent Dr. Marilyn Shepherd reading questions off of speaker cards So she demanded answers from district leaders directly at the podium.

"Is this our school? Then, let's ask the questions," Steigman said from the podium.

She drew criticism from other parents.

"I had enough because I feel … they've made their decision OK. And we already told them last time, 'Why are we here? You've made your decision,'" said Steigman.

But the district said no decision has been made. Shepherd said budget cuts are imminent for the next two to three years and decisions must be made now to save millions. Bayview, she said, is too small of a site to stay financially viable.

"We can go back to the drawing board, but the real cause of the problem is we have a real small site that we can't put anymore students on," Shepherd said.

Parents of Colton kindergarten through fifth grade students will have to move their kids to another school no matter which of the two recommended options wins.

Leisa Hidas is both a Colton parent and teacher.

"I think it makes MPUSD a great school district, not only as a teacher, but my own boys starting out. I'd much rather support the school district," said Hidas.

It's a difficult situation for everyone involved, including Shepherd who got emotional at the end of our interview.

"It has been very painful to cut $7.5 million. So you know what we have more to do and we're going to survive and I hope people can look at the bigger picture," Shepherd said.

The district closed down Marina Del Mar last year also because it was too small -- a last minute decision as part of budget cuts.

So the district is starting this process early because whatever plan is decided will go into effect at the end of this school year.

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