Opening a High School in East Dublin – How Could It Happen?
How could Dublin go about opening a high school in East Dublin? Based on the relatively strong support for opening a high school in East Dublin (indicated by this week’s Around Dublin poll results), it could be beneficial to think about how the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) could go about bringing a new high school to East Dublin.
First of all, residents that have an opinion about whether or not a high school should be opened in East Dublin can contact the DUSD Board of Trustees. It’s important that our elected representatives understand our concerns and benefit from our collective vision. Please click here for a link to the contact information for the DUSD Board of Trustees.
There are many avenues available to bring a new high school to East Dublin. Here are just a few approaches to opening a new high school in East Dublin. These can be considered on an individual basis or combined to create an optimal strategy:
- Convert the facilities at Fallon Middle School to support high school students (perhaps renaming the school to Fallon High School) and convert the Kolb Elementary facilities to support grades K – 8. Kolb Elementary is planned to open in 2010. This option wouldn’t be too much of a stretch given that the Fallon school site was initially being considered for use as a Middle School or a High School before the plans were finalized. Some of the land around Fallon Middle School could be acquired to provide additional facilities for the high school students, if needed.
- Use impact fees from future development (e.g., Fallon Village, Grafton Plaza, and Wallis Ranch) to acquire land and build the new East Dublin high school. Developers could choose to allocate a fraction of their available land to use for the new high school in lieu of a portion of the impact fees and then use the remaining impact fees to build the high school facilities.
- Issue a bond to generate the fees to build the new East Dublin high school and setup a Tax District in East Dublin to pay down the bond principal and interest. This Tax District would exist for a finite period of time until the bond is paid off. This would most likely be the least preferred approach for most East Dublin residents and developers.
- Use a portion of the remaining Dublin Measure C bond program proceeds to build a new high school.
These are just a few potential ideas for how a new high school can be opened in East Dublin. Can you think of any additional ideas? Please feel free to comment with your suggestions and why you would or would not like to see a new high school built in East Dublin.
10:25 AM on May 30th, 2008
My daughter is 4. And, I’m already wondering how I can avoid sending her to Dublin High. The school is so far away from home, and based on state test rankings, nor worth the drive. I want the best for my daughter, and I believe a new state-of-the art school on the East Side is what she deserves. If not that, then at least a transfer to one of the Pleasanton schools!
1:49 PM on May 30th, 2008
Unfortunately, it’s one of the reasons why lots of young families AVOID moving into Dublin. Instead they move down the street into San Ramon or Pleasanton, where the high schools are much better.
4:32 PM on May 30th, 2008
I have a lot of friends who live in Dublin whose children are approaching high school and are attempting to purchase homes in San Ramon. Have you seen the new high school in Windemere?! Everytime I pass by there I could not help but envy their good fortune. I am lucky that I teach in Pleasanton therefore have the benefit of sending my kids to Pleasanton high schools. However, I still long to send my kids to their neighborhood schools and get the feeling that they really “belong.”
Instead of adding more buildings to Dublin High, why can’t they build a new high school in East Dublin in the same caliber as the high-tech, beautifully-appointed new Dougherty Valley High School of San Ramon?
5:33 PM on May 30th, 2008
You may not be aware of this, but the test scores at DUSD place our district in the top 35 schools in the state. The API for the average high school in California is in the mid-600′s out of 1000. API for San Ramon and Pleasanton high schools is in the 800′s. Dublin HS just scored a 795 and next year will probably be in the 800s as well. With a score of 795, Dublin HS gets a statewide score of 8 out of 10.
The District has allocated $81,000,000 of its Measure C funds to make the high school a “high-tech, beautifully-appointed” school like what you would find in San Ramon. Once construction is completed, people will be as impressed with it when they drive by as they are when they drive by the schools in San Ramon.
Keeping this in mind, is the crux of your opinion that you don’t want your children driving a few miles to high school or am I missing something else?
I invite you to tour the school and I guarantee you will be impressed.
10:21 PM on May 30th, 2008
Hi Ms. Henry – thank you for taking the time to address some of the comments here on the blog. You have made some excellent points that I think will be posted on the blog in a separate entry as a celebration of sorts.
I just had a few questions that I think that our readers would appreciate your feedback on:
* Regarding the Dublin High school tour, is there a person that residents can contact to setup the walk-throughs?
* There seems to be an unfortunate and erroneous image issue that Dublin High is working with. Is there anything that DPIE or other residents can do to help get out the word about the great things happening at Dublin High to create a new image of Dublin High?
* The folks in East Dublin need to drive about 6 miles from their homes to Dublin High (one-way). With the traffic lights, this can be a roughly 25-20 minute drive each way. Could you see the value in having a high school that is within 5 minutes of a student’s home (from a green perspective, a sense of community, etc.)?
* Lastly, if residents wanted to discuss the opening of a high school in East Dublin, should they plan to attend future DUSD Board meetings and speak during the public comments section?
Thx, John Z.
3:25 PM on June 1st, 2008
Hi John, doesn’t it cost less to build a new high school than to renovate Dublin High school? I’m sure the tax payers of east dublin would be happier.
9:11 PM on June 1st, 2008
Hi Anonymous – this is an excellent question. I’m really not familiar with the costs associated with building a new high school. However, the cost of retrofitting the existing East Dublin schools to accommodate a high school would be less than the $81M that was allocated to Dublin High.
It is also important to note that for new schools, the new home developers in the area that provide the impact fees to build the school typically provide 50% of the expenses – while the state provides the other 50%. Based on this, one could make the argument that building a new high school would be a very efficient use of a portion of the future East Dublin residential development impact fees since there would be a match from the state (sort of like how many companies offer a match on a 401K plan).
Hopefully, a DUSD Board member reading this comment string will comment on the cost comparison question.
7:00 PM on June 20th, 2008
I really like to have a new high school in east Dublin. It will definitely make the life easier for east Dublin students and parents.
A second benefit is to every Dublin resident. By using the state matched fund, Dublin city can build a new high school with less investment NOW than in the future. Looking ahead, with the east Dublin continuing to be built out, we will have a capacity crisis for sure in Dublin High if we do not build a new high school now. By having 2 high schools in Dublin, it helps promoting Dublin’s image and helps elevating the quality and reputation of schools.
Simply put, if Dublin wants to compete with Pleasanton and San Ramon to attract new homebuyers in the future, it is a no-brainer to build a new high school. It will benefit both east and west Dublin!
I fully support a new high school in Dublin!
7:08 PM on June 20th, 2008
Is it possible to have a East Dublin school district so that we can have a new high school sooner? Seems DUSC does not realize the urgency to have a new high school.
OR can we replace the school board leaders with poor visions?
8:38 PM on June 20th, 2008
Hello Anonymous – there will be 3 board seat available for the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) Board of Trustees – including one seat where the incumbent will not be running. There is currently one East Dublin resident on the DUSD Board of Trustees. East Dublin residents could look at this as an opportunity to elect 3 more Trustees to the DUSD Board.
http://www.dublin.k12.ca.us/vnews/display.v/ART/45eda5fc661cf
2:19 PM on July 1st, 2008
My son is 4 and a half, and going to Dougherty elementary this fall. I see our neighbour who has a three year old moving to Windermere last week. That is our plan too if Dublin High can not get to the level of San Ramon or Pleasanton.
To most people, the score of a school is just a statistics. 8 out of 10 is good enough. When it comes to our own kid, we want the best and do not want to compromise for anything less than the best.
I like our home in East Dublin a lot. I am very proud of Dublin too. I do not like Windermere because it is too far away. I hate its lack of charactor. But I may have to move there anyway.
If only Dublin has an excellent high school!!! My life would be perfect.
4:59 PM on July 1st, 2008
The fact that well-to-do residents are leaving centrally located Dublin for middle-of-nowhere Windemere is a testament to Dublin High School’s quality. It may be good enough for some, but why settle for simply above average in Dublin when you can be among the best in San Ramon? The irony today is that the residents we lose to San Ramon are exactly the ones whose children will make Dublin High School competitive. The sooner we can stop the East Dublin brain drain, the quicker Dublin’s school standards will rise. The only way to do that is more involvement from concerned East Dublin parents.
10:04 AM on July 9th, 2008
I like the latest post. It says exactly right. I feel the urgency too as an East Dublin resident. Not only our children’s future is at stake, but also our house value are deeply impacted. Is there a way for concerned parents to be organized to sponsor a new Dublin high school? For me, I do not mind paying a special tax just for it. I love my house in Dublin so much and do not want to move anywhere.
10:47 AM on July 9th, 2008
Hi Anonymous,
You should consider running for the School Board on that platform. I love East Dublin, and it breaks my heart to see that we are losing so many great families to Windemere on this one issue. We also need to make sure that if such tax is passed, the associated oversight committee is made up of mostly East Dublin residents and is free of any member from the School Board. As noted by another reader on the Parcel Tax post, the Measure C oversight committee has a school board member on it. If that is not rubberstamping, I don’t know what is.
11:34 PM on July 15th, 2008
This is an interesting topic and I appreciate Jennifer Henry’s comments on the status of the high school test scores and construction.
As a resident who has lived in the east since its inception, one needs to remember that the school board in 2002 (the board of Denis King, David Haubert, Randy Shumway, Kevin Hart and Eric Swawell) all voted to not to build a second high school in east Dublin, which was originally located next to Fallon Middle School. After their vote, the superintendent and board members came before the City Council and informed them of the vote and requested the land be re-zoned for residential development. The Council at the time struggled with making the change and even asked the board members to reconsider or wait a few years before giving the land back for development. George Zika even threw his hands in the air in disbelief over the request. The board was adamant about having one high school in Dublin for various reasons. No residents of east Dublin were there to argue for or against the request.
Now, unfortunately land is not set aside to accomodate a high school and elementary schools are planned based on development and projected housing numbers. An elementary school can not simply be re-zoned for a middle or high school as it requires more acres and infrastucture.
As a parent from east Dublin who has had two children attend Dublin High, I believe and whole heartdely support our high school. Look beyond the facade. The teachers are wonderful, the programs consistently grow and once remodeling is complete we will have a school that rivals those in Pleasanton and San Ramon. We will also see an increase in test scores as more children with diverse educational experiences attend Dublin High. Don’t give up on the school. My kids have thrived there and are all succesful University students.
We are not just losing families to the schools in other communities. We see them leave in order to grow in bigger homes with larger yards, that are not readily available in Dublin. You get what you put into your education and why should we let our east Dublin elementary schools prepare our children to succeed in San Ramon when that prepartion could and would be strengthened and proven successful at Fallon Middle School and Dublin High.
7:46 AM on July 16th, 2008
Given the most recent comment from anonymous, East Dublin residents who want a high school should look into the reasons Denis King, David Haubert, Randy Shumway, Kevin Hart, and Eric Swawell all voted against a high school in our neighborhood and hold them accountable for contributing to the situation we have today. I am surprised someone with this level of detail on the history would simply gloss over the motivation behind the School Board’s decision with something as vague as “various reasons.” The comment would have been more compelling had those reasons been enumerated and not posted anonymously. In any case, I do appreciate anonymous’s input in our discussion, but I don’t think anyone who supports a high school in East Dublin is giving up on the current Dublin High School. Two of our strongest arguments are and have always been fairness and accessibility. Cities of similar sizes have more than one high school, and they are able to do so without compromising the quality of the schools’ curricula. If a high school’s quality is indeed inversely proportional to the number of existing high schools in a school district, shouldn’t Dublin already be outranking San Ramon and Pleasanton by leaps and bounds? The fact is we are losing residents and prospective home buyers to San Ramon and Pleasanton on the account of the high school, and anyone who says otherwise has probably been mislead by the School Board. Finally, I should also thank Dublin School Board member Jennifer Henry for her contribution on this topic. As a Dublin resident on http://www.trulia.com had said, “you know Dublin school district is in trouble when after all the data slicing and dicing, our high school gets what essentially amounts to a C+ compared to neighboring high schools.” I think many of us in East Dublin have lost faith in the current School Board’s ability to do what’s right for the next generation. How else can one explain the lack of enthusiasm for a $99 parcel tax in Dublin when other cities are able to get political support for parcel taxes in amounts much higher?
8:19 PM on August 5th, 2008
WE NEED A HIGH SCHOOL IN EAST DUBLIN!!! Not only is Dublin High too far away(expecting kids to travel 20-25 minutes is ridiculous), but why would we want to send our kids to such a large high school that only the top elite get to play sports, and have opportunities for AP classes, etc. High schools are simply getting too large, and with the continious growth in Dublin, how are we to trust that there will be adequate space for our young kids in Dublin High School ten years from now? If East Dublin residents don’t move because of this issue, then I certainly wouldn’t doubt that their children will attend private high schools!
10:14 PM on August 10th, 2008
My neighbor and I were talking about a high school in East Dublin again this weekend, and he made an interesting point. According to him, West Dublin’s short-sighted opposition to a high school in East Dublin will ultimately hurt their children. East Dublin families make more money on average than West Dublin families. Our higher earning power not only permits us to afford the nicer homes in East Dublin but also allows us to invest more in our children. We are more likely to send our children to tutoring services like Kumon and Sylvan Learning Center, so they may excel academically. We are also more likely to hire private coaching for our children, so they may perform better athletically. Soon students from East Dublin will outrank students from West Dublin in class and outnumber them on the field. I wonder how West Dublin will feel when not one of their kids gets to be on the football team and the basketball team. With close to 1000 homes planned at Wallis Ranch and 3000 homes planned in Fallon Village, the likelihood of this prediction’s coming true looks pretty good. When I considered the issue in this new light, I almost felt sorry for West Dublin.
10:25 PM on August 10th, 2008
I can’t wait for West Dublin to start insisting on an affirmative action program based on the home address, if East Dublin students really start crowding out the kids from West Dublin. This thread just keeps getting better and better — I love it.
11:10 PM on August 17th, 2008
WOW, I cam across this blog on accident.. I have live in West Dubli for 10 years.. I live in a house with a beautiful view of the valley.. I have 3 children in the Dublin schools, ont their way to Dublin High.. I am appolled at the judgement of the EAST side families.. Maybe our children would be better off with you all moving to Windemere.. The materialistic views of the looks of schools, and the api scores?? Are they really that off from San Ramon or Pleasawnton schools? Have any of you considered talking to a student at San Ramon or Pleasanton s, and school to learn about the recent GANG activity, drug use, and even suicides????????????? Maybe the nicer buildings are a facad…..
6:33 AM on August 18th, 2008
I live on the East side, and I do not have kids. With respect to the high school, I defer to my neighbors who do have kids; however, I would like to respond to a specific point made by the previous poster before the misconception takes root and gets out of hand. The Tri-Valley as a whole is very safe. According to Val Guzman of the Dublin Police Department, Dublin and its neighboring cities do not have a gang problem. Pleasanton, San Ramon, and Dublin have all experienced isolated incidents perpetrated by wannabes, but the numbers are not significantly above background.
11:00 AM on August 18th, 2008
The East Dublin kids are bright and very good in spelling. They deserve a new High school.
12:14 PM on August 23rd, 2008
It is sad to see negative comments pitting east against west.The bottom line on this issue is that when east Dublin adds another 5000 homes one high school will not suffice.It is simply a matter of numbers.Is Dublin High going to have 5000 students?Come on people.
10:14 PM on September 8th, 2008
Moving to Dublin
I moved to East Dublin last year because of its central location compared to middle of nowhere Winderemere. However, I have regretted the decision on account of the management of the Dublin school board. If Dublin does not build a new High School to adequately support the increasing class sizes , we will have to move to neighboring cities.
What a waste of central location and resources.
City planners and leadership needs to really think about the future and not be myopic.
9:46 PM on September 12th, 2008
I was told about this blog by a friend who encouraged me to read and respond if warranted. I read these comments with a mixture of wonderment, understanding, empathy and sadness. I am amazed at the overwhelming number of comments posted by people who are unwilling to take the courtesy of posting their real name and contact information along with their comments. Anonymity carries with it a certain protection and sense of bravado. I ask for neither and encourage people to call, e-mail or write to me and ask for the board’s (or at least my own) historical perspective on the decision, and reaffirmation several times, as to why Dublin only needs one comprehensive high school. I was part of the board that decided that one comprehensive high school of approximately 2400-2600 students was the best long term option back in 2002. Two high schools of 1200-1400 students would not be able to offer the depth and breadth of instruction as does a single larger high school. As Dublin High grows in student population past the 1300 student mark and towards the 1400 to 1500 student mark we are constantly challenged with the scenario of offering multiple sections of honors and AP courses, as well as a full offering of cross curricular electives. The district, high school and board have done an excellent job of being creative with the limited resources available from state funding to ensure that a wide variety of classes are offered. As the high school grows it is much easier to offer such flexibility with one larger high school than with two smaller high schools. The average high school size in our surrounding communities (Pleasanton – 2500+; Livermore – 2200+; San Ramon Valley – 2400+) are on par with the expected enrollment of Dublin High once the city of Dublin is built out in 15 to 20 years. I would like to know where a previous comment poster came up with 5000 additional houses in Eastern Dublin generating 5000 additional high school students. This is purely a work of fiction and an emotional argument without basis. The fact is that our district demographer has been extremely helpful in planning the future growth of Dublin and the district enrollment. They provide updates twice every year with allowances for low, medium and high growth. The district has planned the construction of new schools well and will to continue to ensure that schools come on line at the appropriate time. But back to the topic of a second high school in Dublin. This is a very complicated issue with very complicated solutions. It is easy to suggest using future developer fees to acquire land and build a new high school but with the cost of 50 plus acres and construction topping out over $150,000,000 (my estimate and it’s probably too low) it is easy to see how the math does not play out. Besides the fact that the impact fees for some of the developments mentioned in this blog (Wallis Ranch, Grafton Plaza, Fallon Villages) are already tied up in previous developer agreements that provided for our new schools to be built for us and modernization of DHS. This is not new money that is available. This blogger also suggest that a special tax district be created in the East to fund a new high school (land & construction). There is a name for such a tax district and it is Mello-Roos. I am not certain that this would be a favorable idea to float in the east. I for one do not support this. I also do not and will not ever support the moderator’s idea to use a portion of the Measure C bond proceeds to fund the construction of a new high school in the east. We must ensure that the original plans for the reconstruction of Dublin High proceed as planned without a disruption with the redirection of Measure C bond proceeds. This may be a great question to ask at one of the many candidate forums being held in the next few weeks. If anyone would like a first hand conversation with me to discuss this issue my personal contact information has been posted on the district web site since my election to the board in 2000 but I will repeat it below. I look forward to hearing from you and to discussing the issue and answering any questions that you may have. One last reminder. Please remember to vote on November 4th.
Sincerely,
Denis King
President, Board of Trustees
Dublin Unified School District
Home: 925-829-9144
Cell: 925-570-9889
E-Mail: denisk@aol.com
kingdenis@dublin.k12.ca.us
10:33 PM on September 12th, 2008
Mr. King – I appreciate the fact that you have taken the time to post a detailed argument for why you and school board have voted against providing a high school in east Dublin. I am also pleased to see that we have many perspectives represented on Around Dublin. It is admirable that you have posted your direct contact information. I hope that readers will take the time to contact you and gain an understanding of your viewpoint.
Thx, John Z.
9:00 AM on September 13th, 2008
A balanced view
As a current school board member who inherited the board decision for only one high school when I got on the board 4 years ago, I studied the rationale and spoke at the time to ALL stakeholder groups about it. I believe Pat Kohnen’s statement captures the reasons that the board made the decision. They are: 1. At build out of the City there will be approximately 2300 HS students. A number all neighboring towns aproximate for their schools (see Amador, Foothill, Cal, etc.).
2. If programs were split between 2 schools, the impact would dilute programs at both. Programs are based on General Fund money, not bond money.
Bond money, which provides capital to build, could build another school, but you would have to impose yet another bond on citizens while they are paying for Measure C – and end up with two small schools. General fund money, expense revenue to run quality programs, is what would be directly diluted by the two schools. And this dilution would filter to all other grade level schools.
This second reason has been amplified by severe budget cuts from the state this year that has started at $2M so far and is expected to grow next year. We have made significant cuts across the board including lay-offs and program eliminations to accommodate these cuts – and the anticipated state budget (if it ever gets passed) is likely to have larger cuts. So, for example, should we eliminate all music programs to accomodate more AP classes? I wouldn’t do that. But I know we need more AP classes.
I believe that Michelle Devane’s statement that there is a “desparate need of a new high school” derives from everyone’s desire for the best for all our kids. It is well intentioned. We SHOULD seek the best possible academic curriculum with more AP classes with assurances for acceptance in IVY League schools, as mentioned. By the way, there is a long history at Dublin High of graduates going to Standford, Princeton, Columbia, etc. Of course, we want even more of our students who desire to go these schools to do so as well.
There are dangers in putting our energies in this failed proposal. Instead of using our finite money, teacher time, staff resources, and community assets into something that shouldn’t happen we should assure better curriculum for all students – in all grades. That is one way you make a better high school, provide them with better educated freshmen. We should take all resources, including yours and mine, and focus on making Dublin High the best. As the new facilities are being built (and they are extraordinary to see)the district is focusing on meeting our new graduation requirement which are the best in the area. Every vote on the board in the last two years since we raised the standards has been focused on that. Failure to provide the rights courses now for Dublin Students will leave some falling through the cracks when the new requirements go into effect.
I know that the ideal is a small neighborhood school where kids can walk to school and identify with it, then move on to Harvard or Yale. The economic realities of the day prevent that. But it doesn’t mean any student who wants Harvard or Yale shouldn’t be able to get there. What I would like is to focus on bringing the resources in the community together to work toward that vision of Dublin High. Either we start working together as a whole community or we lose the synergies that that can bring and thereby fail our kids.
I challenge all to come up with ideas to bring high school assets to all parts of Dublin. Satellite classes at Fallon? Possibly. Swim team workouts at Emerald Glen some day? Sure. Car pools? Joint study sessions? Shared information on getting into the best colleges. What can you come up with?
I offer myself to meet with interested community members to discuss this issue, parcel tax questions, and as many more topics as you wish. I believe there is a lack of solid information as well as an abundance of mis-information on school district issues out there. I can be reached at ledahljohn@dublin.k12.ca.us or 925-551-5965. Lets set a meeting at your home and invite the neighbors.
John Ledahl
MBA, BA Education, Realtor, and High School Teacher, and current school board member
10:52 PM on September 13th, 2008
It seems the only Dublin School Board member not adding to this discussion is David Haubert. Since he voted for one high school and recently voted to close Nielsen elementary, shouldn’t we hear from him too?
8:26 PM on September 16th, 2008
I am a renter in East Dublin who is considering buying either here in East Dublin, San Ramon, or Pleasanton. My kids are preschool age. As a result, I feel I can give an unbiased opinion of building a new high school in East Dublin since I have no vested interest. My thoughts:
1. Building a new high school in East Dublin will actually HELP improve the existing Dublin High School by providing competition and relieving overcrowding that will ultimately occur if we force everyone into one high school (Dublin High).
2. WEST Dublin homeowners will be huge beneficiaries of a new high school in East Dublin, since it will dramatically reduce future overcrowding at Dublin High.
3. $81 million seems like a huge amount of money to spend on renovating Dublin High. I would think a new high school could be built in East Dublin more cost efficiently while.
4. The geography of Dublin begs for a new high school on the east side. Dublin is a long east/west “strip” with an existing high school (Dublin High) toward the west end of that strip. It is absurd to expect East Dublin residents to shlep 25-30 minutes each way over to West Dublin. Furthermore, the increasing traffic will reduce the attractiveness of living in Dublin and erode our property values.
5. Dubliners – East side and West side – you know that the real Achilles Heel holding back property values in Dublin is our mediocre high school. Yes, it’s good compared with state averages. But we’re sandwiched in between San Ramon and Pleasanton, which make us look not so good. Funny enough, the quality of the high schools in San Ramon and Pleasanton is what is keeping the pressure on Dublin High to improve. Competition is GOOD, and without the excellent schools in San Ramon and Pleasanton, I think we would all agree that Dublin High School would be working as hard to improve. In that same spirit of competition, constructing a new high school in each Dublin will provide further competition and improve the existing Dublin High, relieve overcrowding, relieve future traffic. Imagine Dublin 2020 – two great high schools that compete with Pleasanton and San Ramon, better property values for everyone in Dublin, and in turn making Dublin that much better a place to live. There is no reason for San Ramon, which feels to me like it’s in the middle of nowhere, to have higher property values than Dublin, which has a great location near the 580.
I think we would all agree that building a new high school in East Dublin will help ALL Dublin residents and make Dublin, both east and west, that much better a place to live and have pride in. If you agree, copy this message and email it to your neighbors, and vote for school board members who agree on this vision for a brighter Dublin future.
9:10 PM on September 16th, 2008
Yes, I think it boils down to that. We should just vote for school board members who would agree on this vision.
This is not even about which side of Dublin is a better side therefore deserves a better, newer opportunity. It is about avoiding overcrowding and overpopulation in a campus. This is about safety for our students, accountability and responsibility that each student does not get lost in the crowd or falls through the cracks due to a huge population. I cannot imagine how Dublin, a city brewing with more developments and improvements would only have one high school. Come on, think long term.
Many years from now, school board members who voted to have only one high school will one day eat their words and turn red in the face when overcrowding and its consequences catch up with them.
What a legacy to equate with their name.
8:51 PM on September 17th, 2008
There is no need for a high school in Eastern Dublin.
Several years ago the Dublin School Board made a decision to have only one high school for the students in Dublin. Measure C bond money is being spent at the Dublin High School campus. When all work has been completed the campus will be 80% new facilities and the remaining 20% of the facilities will be remodeled. The new football field and bleachers have been completed. The new Math/Science complex is nearing completion. Move in is expected over the Thanksgiving break. Next will be new classrooms for English, History, Foreign Language,and Social Studies. The high school will have enough space to house all Dublin high school students at build out of the city (about 2300 students). This is about the same size as the current high schools in the neighboring districts of Pleasanton, Livermore and San Ramon.
The two major reasons for the decision for only one high school in Dublin are:
1)A larger high school serving about 2,300 students will allow more flexibility to provide an even better educational program than the District currently provides. Scheduling of classes will be easier and students can be offered more options such as addition Advance Placement classes.
2) Having only one high school for all the students in Dublin will help the entire community to co-operate together as one community, and will not encourage East/West rivalry and competition as another high school in Eastern Dublin might.
6:41 PM on September 21st, 2008
You East people along with you Mr. Z. are unrealistic and uninformed. Pleasanton has 65,000 residents, San Ramon has 50,000 residents. Dublin has only 39,000. Unless Dublin is going to double in the next ten years there is no need for another high school in the foreseeable future. Why don’t the people in the East really say what’s on your mind… you don’t want your kid going to school with an African American kid or a Latino kid. The talk I hear from the East side is highly suspect. Mr. Z, shame on you for propagating this type of division. Dublin does not need your kind of leadership.
7:16 PM on September 21st, 2008
Hello Anonymous – it is great to see that you are expressing your opinion and referring to population figures. However, it’s unfortunate that you’ve taken a step over the line and made prejudicial and inflammatory comments. It would be wonderful if you could harness your passion for seeing strong Dublin schools and use it in a more constructive manner.
Thx, John Z.
8:23 PM on September 21st, 2008
Dublin, California is wonderfully diverse and culturally rich. We welcome people of all races, ethnicities, and religions to our growing city. I wouldn’t have moved to Dublin, if it weren’t for its socio-economically inclusive policies, and I’m very excited to be part of this progressive city.
8:30 PM on September 21st, 2008
"From a population of approximately 14,300 in 1982, the City of Dublin has grown to a resident population of 46,934 (per CA Dept. of Finance 2008). The City has consistently been one of the fastest growing cities in Alameda County for the past several years, and the City is projected to have a total population of between 65,000 and 70,000 at build out."
http://www.ci.dublin.ca.us/DepartmentSub.cfm?PL=econ&SL=demog
12:24 PM on September 23rd, 2008
I am a parent of two DHS students. My children started their education in Dublin and will graduate from DHS. I have been actively involved in the schools and helping to educate our students and provide support for our teachers and programs. I have always had the opportunity to raise and educate my children in any city I chose and I purposely chose Dublin. It has always been important that my children get a good education with teachers and administration that strive for higher goals for all our students. I believe that this has occurred over the years and that our administration and staff attempt to raise the bar for our students as often as they can. I would ask that persons who are passionate about a second high school find the time to educate themselves about the history of our single high school. It is easy to make these decisions on an emotional level but you have to truly look at the fiscal impact and feasibility of a decision of this magnitude.
A good education has been important to me but I also wanted my children to be exposed to students of multiple types of backgrounds. Our world is made up of a mixture of races, color and beliefs and I wanted my children to be exposed to all this world has to offer because this is what our world consists of. East, west, black, white…who cares? The kids don’t care! Walk around the high school, get to know our students and citizens. They are students from one community and that is how they view themselves. It’s the parents who are short sighted, ignorant and bigoted.
For those of you who choose to send your kids to schools outside our city or to a private school so that they don’t have to “attend a Dublin School”, you are part of the problem and not part of the solution. Put your energy in assisting our schools in a positive way so that our children reap the benefits. Unfortunately, too many would rather sit around and complain about the problems and not be part of the solution. These are tough times for all our schools and it’s time to take a more positive approach to helping our kids succeed. A physical structure means absolutely nothing if you can’t provide the quality education and programs. By the way, I have friends who have children in these ” beautiful schools” and they are not happy. They, too, have problems. I know we have some students at DHS that used to attend these fancy new schools but were unhappy.
I ask my fellow residents, please don’t judge a book by it’s cover and arm yourself with information before you go off on some tangent.
One last question..
Mr. Zukoski, Are you running for city council or a school board position? I was under the impression from your mailer that it was a city council seat, yet, I read all this blog about our schools. As a registered voter and resident of this fine city for over 18 years, I want to know how you are going to help our city thrive and keep us in a positive direction. Your blog has perpetuated negativity and continues to divide our city as “East and West Dublin”. We are one city. Period.
4:56 PM on September 23rd, 2008
Hi Ms. Miller – first off, thank your for taking the time to comment and state your position. With that said, I would like to state that Dublin is an inclusive community and that we are ONE Dublin. I don’t think that your accusations of racism are appropriate or valid. We are a wonderful community and I have never seen any indication that such negative behaviors or mindsets exist.
With respect to your question directed to me – this blog is not about my candidacy for City Council. It is about Dublin and why we are such a fantastic city. The purpose of this blog is simply to let folks know about the great things happening in Dublin and to also give residents a chance to participate in our community dialogue. The comment string on the East Dublin High School topic is a perfect example of this participatory process.
I don’t want to use this forum to promote my candidacy. However, if you’d like to learn more about my vision and how I plan to help make Dublin the premier city of the Bay Area, please check out my election website or the televised forums.
11:36 AM on September 25th, 2008
It is a one city, but this is the east part that is developing rapidly and needs attention. It’s the East Dublin that attracts the newcomers whether Ms. Miller and others like it or not. Considering that some families that reside in Dublin Ranch pay about $14000 a year in property taxes I think East Dublin residents deserve to be heard. Think competition is bad for the city? We can respect that. Keep calling it Dublin High School but give East Dublin a new facility. We are talking about a simple physical inconvenience of having to drive across the city for half an hour and staff our kids into overcrowded classrooms. Since when having parks, stores, post offices and schools in a close proximity of the main residence became a luxury?
12:37 PM on September 25th, 2008
I don’t think it’s fair to demonize those families who send their kids to private institutions. Often families do so for religious reasons. Families should be able to decide whether or not they want a secular education for their children. I fail to see how such a decision is racist.
10:31 PM on September 25th, 2008
Pat Kohnen’s comments are extremely telling:
pat kohnen, dusd board of trustees said…
“There is no need for a high school in Eastern Dublin.”
We obviously have lots of parents in East Dublin saying we need another high school. There are many reasons given, but Pat and others on the board apparently do not care about what voters/residents want. The few board members have already decided that we don’t need it, shut up, and get in your car and drive 20 minutes to take your kids to school-
Just because residents ask for something doesn’t mean that we should always look at it, but I think the arguments are fairly valid–
Pat, do you not hear the East Dublin residents? We are tired of driving through 25 street lights to take our kids to school? Is that so hard to understand? We are tired of seeing many neighbors moving to SR and Pleasanton due to their high school options.. Go stand on Doherty or Tassajara and hold up a sign that reads, “Please don’t leave Dublin, haven’t you seen our high school? You know, it’s over in the far west side of town!”
You can bury your head in the sand and build the state’s largest High School if you really want to, but that still won’t alleviate a valid concern and complaint from many residents. It’s this lack of understanding that is why our situation has gotten to where it’s at now.. Do you realize that hundreds of east dublin high school students can drive to the new high school in SR faster than they can get to Dublin High? Please, unbury your head and listen to the residents for once-
10:14 AM on September 26th, 2008
I’m a potential home buyer. I’d love to buy a property in Dublin Ranch area. The only reason I haven’t’ made a decision yet is because of the high school situation. I’m not saying the school is bad, I’m saying that I at this point I face an ugly possibility of having to “dance” around my work schedule in order to be able to take my kids to and from school safely. It seems to me that DHS is the only 1 attraction point left in west part of the city. Take away “a mile from DHS” item from a property description and what is left? This is why I think the residents of that area along with some city representatives are trying to hold on to it as hard as possible. I find it to be an example of an extreme selfishness. It looks like East D residents thinking about their children while West Dublin residents seem to care only about the declining value of their properties.
12:39 PM on September 26th, 2008
Based on how many comments this post has received, everyone can see Dublin residents care a lot about education. I have been impressed by the arguments on both sides of the issue and the fact that we got most of the current School Board members to weigh in on this controversy, but I am concerned about the negative tone of some recent comments. If people really feel this strongly about the issue, perhaps they should start attending the School Board meetings and insist that all School Board meetings be televised and streamed online. No matter how well articulated your arguments may be for or against a second high school on this blog, no one will care if you don’t show up and vote. No matter the outcome, I do believe Dublin will be fine either way, because I know we have many passionate parents who care about their children’s future on both sides of town.
Jeremy Lin
Dublin Resident
5:23 AM on September 30th, 2008
If residents are so concerned then they should become involved in the upcoming election and elect a new school board.
Without good leadership at the top it doesn’t matter how many high schools Dublin has or where they are located.
Also, I think people should be more concerned about the programs and course offerings at Dublin High than how far away it is. I saw the board meeting where they discussed IB and Advanced Diploma. These are great ideas but will the board act on any of them? Only one board member, David Haubert, seemed genuinely interested.
Elect good leaders and the rest will follow.
8:51 AM on September 30th, 2008
So far David Haubert has been a disappointment to those of us who live in East Dublin. This bailout measure he supported and his publicly campaigning against a high school in East Dublin will be his legacy. I will vote against every candidate he endorses.
8:28 PM on September 30th, 2008
Anonymous… you are an idiot! You can’t vote against anyone. All you can do is vote for someone. By the way, who are you going to vote for? NONE of the candidates agrees with your arguments for another high school. Way to go!
6:35 AM on October 1st, 2008
We live in east Dublin and attend Dublin High. The commute is not great but we carpool and it is manageable. But the school is really, really good. People need to see past the commute and run down buildings (which are being replaced) and feel lucky. I would rather drive a few extra minutes and stay there. We did try the bus at first. I am upset that the city has covered bus stops on the west side but none on the east side. I guess they feel it is ok for the children in the east to get wet but not their own children? Also, the bus is mostly late to class. They need a route that goes directly to the high school. Why doesn’t the school board care about their students constantly showing up late to class? I guess they don’t care either because it is mainly the kids in the east who are late. I agree with the others that we need all new people on the school board!
7:54 AM on October 2nd, 2008
*Anonymous on October 1, 2008 6:35 AM said… *
Your kids were systematically late for school due to difficult transportation and you call this situation manageable?! Thanks for your comment though, now we know that a bus is not an option which leaves us East residents with no choice of transportation whatsoever beside our own cars…
10:56 AM on October 2nd, 2008
Good point…. we decided to carpool because the bus service is terrible – too late to start school, no zero period service and no covered bus stops, and way too long. It is manageable for us to carpool. However, some people, however, have no choice but the bus. We need leaders who will do something about this and this means we need to elect three brand new school board members this November.
11:54 PM on October 3rd, 2008
I agree completely, as well as everyone I have spoken to, that we need all new school board members this November.
3:06 PM on October 7th, 2008
The school is good by what standards? Upper 30% is not setting the bar very high. Upper 5% or even 1% should be the goal, anything less would need more work. Let pollute to drive 1000-1200 kids across town daily to school.
4:13 PM on October 7th, 2008
I like the post about the Advanced Diploma and IB program. Since Board members frequent this blog can they comment on whether they support these programs or not and why?
11:41 PM on October 12th, 2008
None of the Board members support the need for higher academic focus. We need to elect new blood to the school board.
12:00 AM on October 22nd, 2008
Please forgive the length of this post, but I have to get something off my chest and unfortunately I’m not very good at brevity. I attended the 10/20/08 forum at Fallon School for the five school board candidates. I left the forum very disillusioned about the prospects for Dublin’s schools based on these candidates. My main topic of interest is the need for a second high school in Dublin. As I’ll explain later in this note, I believe that this is THE fundamental issue that will determine whether Dublin will have an outstanding school district comparable to the Pleasanton and San Ramon Valley districts, or a school district that pales in comparison to its neighbors. And yet, what I saw last night was an almost unanimous “can’t do” attitude on the part of the candidates. They dismissed the topic as not worthy of consideration, primarily based on the premise that Dublin does not need a second high school, and secondarily based on lack of land & budget.
I was so surprised and discouraged to hear the candidates essentially saying, “Forget it, get over it, it’s not gonna happen.” They base their reasoning on the fact that Dublin only has something like 1500 public high school students today and is projected by a demographer to have a maximum of 2500 at build out (at which point the city estimates, at http://www.ci.dublin.ca.us/DepartmentSub.cfm?PL=econ&SL=demog, that it will have 65,000 to 70,000 residents).
In fact, one of the candidates (and current board member) — John Ledahl — stated on Sept. 13, 2008 in his “balanced view” posting on this blog that the idea of building a second high school is “a failed proposal” and “something that shouldn’t happen”. He even stated that Dublin will max out at 2300 high school students. Is this the kind of “visionary” leadership Dublin residents want for their schools?
If you accept the number 2500 (or 2300) as the ceiling, then a reasonable person might agree that it is unnecessary to have two high schools, despite the significant inconvenience, expense and environmental impact of East Dublin students having to to drive across town to attend Dublin High School. One thing I found particularly condescending was the way the candidates talked down to the attendees about this issue. It seemed like they were scoffing at the absurdity of anyone thinking there should be two high schools in Dublin, when everyone knows that each high school would only have 1250 students. The fallacy in the candidates’ position is that by limiting their vision to 2500 total public high school students in Dublin, they avoid having to make the changes necessary to improve the schools to the point where they would attract far more than 2500 students. They are essentially condemning the city to having a permanently-mediocre high school system. It’s as if the school board is subconsciously willing its high school system to remain inferior to its neighbors so as to limit the number of students to 2500. It becomes a self-fulfulling prophecy. And it’s the opposite of the attitude the board should have.
Let me explain the numbers. With 70,000 residents at build out, Dublin will have a couple thousand more residents than Pleasanton has today. But Pleasanton currently has 4600 public high school students, far more than the 2500 that Dublin expects to have. And don’t think that Pleasanton is an anomaly. A comparable student/population ratio also holds true for our neighbors to the north in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, which has 8400 public high school students out of the 129,000 residents in San Ramon, Danville, Blackhawk, Alamo and Diablo. Why the huge disparity between Dublin and its neighbors? Simple — it’s because families seeking superior high schools are attracted to Pleasanton, San Ramon, Danville, Blackhawk, Alamo and Diablo, but not to Dublin.
Now is the time to start changing that, before it’s too late. It’s time for an attitude adjustment among residents of Dublin as well as among its school board members (and candidates). If, instead of resigning ourselves to the unhappy prospect that Dublin will forever have a mediocre high school system that will attract at most 2500 students, let’s switch to the attitude that Dublin will have top-notch high schools that will attract families that seek the best education for their children. The result will be similar to that of our neighbors, and Dublin will end up with at least 4500 public high school students. So where would we put those 4500 students? In Dublin’s TWO top-notch high schools!
If you abandon the idea of building of a second high school, as the school board & candidates seem to have done, you guarantee that it will be impossible for Dublin to ever have an outstanding school system. That’s because a top school system would attract far more high school students than Dublin HS could accommodate, so it can’t possibly happen. I am puzzled why any of these candidates would even want to be on the board of a school district for which they have such low expectations.
Candidates — can’t you understand that if you succeeded in transforming Dublin HS to be comparable educationally to its neighboring high schools, it would eventually attract thousands more students than it could hold? Now is the time to plan for how you are going to accommodate all of those eager, ambitious students, before there is absolutely no more land or money for a second high school. As I see it, the board’s options are (1) plan for a second high school, (2) prevent Dublin HS from becoming a top school to avoid attracting more students than it can handle, or (3) prepare to suffer unbearable overcrowding at Dublin HS. Paradoxically, option #3 cannot ever really happen because, by definition, an outstanding high school cannot be unbearably overcrowded. Thus the problem will take care of itself and families seeking a superior high school will look elsewhere, with the result that Dublin HS will remain a less-than-outstanding school. It’s another self-fulfilling prophecy courtesy of the school board. The obvious solution is for the board members to get creative now, and to use their considerable expertise to work with school district officials to figure out a way to build a second high school.
But how do we finance a new high school? That’s clearly not easy, and it’s certainly something I personally know very little about. But it’s something the candidates and district officials should all be experts in. Based on numbers I think I heard expressed at last night’s forum, Dublin receives something like $5500 per student per year. With an extra 2000 high school students, Dublin would receive an extra $11 million per year from the state. And as one of the candidates said last night, it doesn’t cost anywhere near $5500 to educate a student, so there will be extra money available to help pay off things like construction bonds.
The city of Dublin also assesses an impact fee of $90K for each new residence built in the city. With another 5000 units to be built in East Dublin, that’s an additional $450 million. That’s close to half a billion dollars! Can’t some of that be earmarked to help pay for a second high school?
Finally, new home prices in East Dublin would be boosted significantly if a high school was planned for the area. That would bring a big bonus to homebuilders, who should be required to contribute to, or perhaps build, the new high school in return for increasing their profits. This is something the school board should be pushing with all their might instead of hanging their heads and saying it can’t be done.
As for the lack of land — and I must admit that I have no knowledge of the practicality of this idea — I wonder if the Camp Parks land swap could accommodate a new high school? That’s assuming there is no other available tract of land in East Dublin, which I seriously doubt considering all the undeveloped land around Fallon Road and Tassajara.
These are just some quick ideas about ways to get a new high school built in East Dublin, something that would benefit all of Dublin. If these ideas won’t work, there must surely be other ideas. Why can’t we have a school board with the imagination and ambition to pursue ideas like these, or think of new ideas, instead of simply shaking their heads and dismissing the whole idea as impossible? Candidates — don’t
throw in the towel today by taking the short-sighted attitude that it can’t be done. Our neighboring districts have achieved scholastic excellence. Why can’t Dublin? Your job shouldn’t be to just balance budgets and ratify contracts, it should also be to help Dublin’s schools achieve greatness. But first you need to believe that it can be done. And if you believe it can be done, voters will elect you to the board and they will help you get the job done.
We need school board members with the vision and ambition to elevate Dublin’s high schools to at least the level of its neighbors. What we don’t need is board members who have resigned themselves to living within the confines of bad decisions made by previous boards that lacked the foresight to aspire to creating a top-performing high school district, and thus refused the land for a second high school and diverted all expenditures to improving Dublin High’s facilities. I guess the old board didn’t think Dublin had the potential. I think it’s time for the new board to prove them wrong.
In fairness, I should point out that there was one exception to the candidates completely dismissing the idea of a second high school. That lone exception was Dan Cherrier. Mr. Cherrier at least has an open mind about the issue and thinks it would be wonderful to have a second high school if the land could be found, the budget could be raised, and there were enough students to justify two high schools. He understands that it would benefit all of Dublin, not just the east side. As the only candidate with a vision towards true excellence for Dublin’s schools, Dan Cherrier has my vote on November 4.
Now everyone please use your imaginations. Picture two superlative
public high schools in Dublin. Picture a friendly cross-town rivalry between the two schools, just like Amador Valley vs. Foothill in Pleasanton. Picture the competition elevating both schools’ performances in the classrooms and on the sports fields. Picture the pride of parents and students in their great high schools. Imagine Dublin as a community that families dream of moving to because of its outstanding high schools. It’s easy if you try.
I’m grateful that my daughters graduated from a top high school (in Pleasanton). I would like my one-year old granddaughter, who lives in Dublin, to have the opportunity to graduate from a top high school. Dublin has 13 years to prepare for her freshman year. Let’s not look back 13 years from now with the sad regret over what could have been accomplished if we had put our collective minds to it in 2008.
As disillusioned as I was by the candidates’ defeatist attitudes, I must say that I was honestly impressed that Dublin has five highly educated and informed candidates for the school board. I really admire their dedication, hard work, and obvious understanding of the fiscal challenges currently facing Dublin’s schools. It takes a special person to volunteer their precious free time for such a noble cause. If they could only channel that dedication & selflessness into a visionary “can-do” spirit for achieving scholastic excellence in Dublin, it could really happen. It really could. It’s been done elsewhere, so why not in Dublin?
Finally, I feel compelled to express how appalled I was that a couple of the candidates at last night’s forum, particularly John Ledahl, had the audacity and discourtesy to badmouth this Around Dublin blog because some of the anonymous comments posted here contain inaccurate information. The nature and the beauty of public blogs is that they promote free speech and unexpurgated exchanges of information, opinions and ideas. Instead of feeling threatened by such openness, and merely grousing about it, complainers like John Ledahl should participate more in the blog and correct the information they consider inaccurate. More participation by city leaders will make this great blog even better.
The Around Dublin blog is a remarkably impressive labor of love by John Zukoski and his team. It is one of the most valuable civic resources I’ve ever seen on the web. I continue to be amazed at its thoroughness, timeliness, usefulness and professional quality. What a great public service it provides! In my opinion, it is downright disrespectful, ungrateful and uncalled for to denigrate this outstanding non-political, non-partisan information service that is provided voluntarily through the hard work, expense, time and dedication of John Zukoski because he cares about Dublin and thinks it is important that residents have an easy way to keep informed about new happenings in the city. John is not responsible for the occasional ill-informed or mean-spirited comment posted by residents. We all need to rise above such comments and focus on working together towards the common good. For that, this blog is revolutionary and essential. Just imagine the information vacuum that would exist in Dublin today without this blog, especially since the Tri-Valley Herald has almost completely abandoned local coverage in favor of news from Tracy, Lathrop, Martinez, Richmond, Concord, Manteca, etc. I think all of Dublin owes John Zukoski and his team a huge debt of gratitude.
Sincerely,
Tim Hall
Dublin, CA
tiger650@comcast.net
10:22 AM on October 22nd, 2008
DITTO, DITTO, DITTO. Incompetent and all Arrogant. They are so proud we are able to surpass the lowest bar set in the Tri Valley, woohoo!!
Charter Properties wants to rezone Grafton Plaza to add 400 plus HIGH DENSITY (I know this is a bad word on Dublin nowadays) residential. They also are developing Wallis Ranch (1000 plus residential) near the Dublin/Contra Costa County line. They have an absurd plan for hundreds of Medium and HIGH DENSITY there which will be the majority of the 1000+ units, don't know why.
If they want a rezone of Grafton Plaza, then give up the notion of building Medium and High Density at Wallis Ranch. Build a smaller number of Single Family Executive Homes at Wallis and selling the land currently designated for Medium and High Density to the District for a discount to be set aside for a potential 2nd High School. Basically swapping the High and Medium Density at Wallis for the ones they want us to rezone for at Grafton Plaza.
Construction can be a partnership between (City, District, Park & Recreation, Homeowners, Private Corporations (Sybase, Taleo) and of course the Developers.
What a concept, too complex though for our elected officials to comprehend.
A top notch High School or two brings pride to the community, priceless! I'd rather have a top notch high school than all the retail that is coming to Dublin.
We talk about upscale shopping centers, The Green at Park Place, Promenade, Grafton Station. Who are going to shop there? We don't have an upscale top notch High School, we don't have top notch traditional neighborhoods, thus we do not have top notch families with disposable income to support these upscales establishments that us few and soon to be extinct families of Dublin would support.
12:17 PM on October 22nd, 2008
I agree, John thank you for this website, it allows residents to celebrate the city with others and also to vent if they needed to. It gives them a sounding board. This is a start as I recommend all users/readers to participate more in our Government and not to rely on the chosen 5 or 10 or 15 elected officials to dictate and determine your future.
Be a part of the solution.
As for those such as the one mentioned above by Mr. Hall, individuals such as he has no place in our City, we need a neighbor to represent us, listen to us and not an arrogant politician who thinks he walks on water.
Go back to Mt. Eden, they can better use you there.
12:59 PM on October 22nd, 2008
Wonderful Website John, professionally done. I appreciate you presenting all the information about our City in an unbiased way. It is very informative. Although some bloggers may be wrong with certain facts, they are all right about one thing, they all share a love for the city and are very passionate about the issues that face us. From High Density to a 2nd High School to BMRs to Entitlement Town.
On the otherhand, your website provides accurate information from all views, regardless if it is popular or not. The opinions of readers does not reflect that of your’s, rather it is a public forum that you are providing for people to express their views without being publicly ridiculed like many parents did at Fallon Middle School last week.
It provides insight into City Hall (dirty secrets) and what is behind the policies it tries to implement. This site hopefully will now bring more of us into politics, hopefully in future elections we can get some of these bloggers that shares the same vision as many of our neighbors to join forces, run for office and take back our City. From the School Board to the Planning Commission all the way to the Mayor’s seat.
Currently I can’t help but have the feeling that our Leaders (15 of them) have gotten too big for us, at times we feel like grade school kids by the way they speak down to their constituents, especially on issues where residents are passionate about and have a disagreement with.
People say get involved and go the city meetings in person, express your approval or opposition there instead of anonymously. Well some did at Fallon the other day, what they get is the same cold shoulder and talked down to. Now you tell me why people don’t go.
The Citizens need to unite and reclaim the city and invert this pyramid.
1:00 PM on October 22nd, 2008
Sorry Mr. Hall that my last blog was anonymous, I will be though signing up for facebook soon to help mobilize our citizens. I hope to see you there. Together we can take this City back for what is left to save.
10:40 AM on October 24th, 2008
Great post Tim.
Mission San Jose District in Fremont is a Great example. In the late 80s and early 90s when that area of Fremont was seeing an explosion of residential development, mainly executive and estates, the District dismissed the notion of needing an expanded or new High School for the area, based on flawed research data. Mission San Jose High if you don’t know was recently recognized as one of the top 5 public High School in Northern CA.
Well with all the development for over a decade, based on the District’s findings that an expansion or new campus was not needed or ever needed, impact fees were not collected for the schools as it was deemed not necessary.
In the late 90s Mission San Jose begin to burst at the seams, the district needed to do something drastic. Expanding or relocating the School now was not feasible as the cost has gone through the roof, it would have been cheaper in the early 90s when this all started. Plus the Mission Area is now nearly built out with impact fees coming to a trickle. With any thought of expansion out of the questions for MSJ High, the District broke up the boundaries of Mission San Jose, Splitting thousands of tracts/residents out and sending them to Irvington High School, a decent school roughly 25 minutes across town.
This resulted in an immediate drop in values for the homes that were dropped out of the MSJ boundaries, while the ones still in the boundary became high demand.
Case in point is that we are looking at the same mistake. Fremont was only building low density SFR and Estate homes in the Mission District (we could only envy) and realized this fate. Dublin is building thousands of High Density thus you do the math. One difference is that in Fremont people were able to choose to pay a premium to move across the street and get back into the MSJ boundary, not having to leave town. In Dublin we don’t have that option as West Dublin is built out. We are left with the only option of leaving for neighboring towns, although reluctantly.
I know I’m preaching to the choir here though.
Thanks!!
Larry Stone
1:24 PM on October 27th, 2008
No to Kevin Hart for City Council, we do not need a redux of his part in the demise of any hope for a 2nd High School. The issue wouldn’t be so complicated today had he and his fellow board members not give up the parcel set aside for a potential 2nd H.S. to a powerful housing developer. It should have been kept open space until buildout to be sure a 2nd wasn’t needed. Open space does not hurt anyone other than the developers. He confirmed and reiterated his flawed decision again as noted in a “Valley Times” article 9/23/08 titled “Dublin City Council candidateds spar”. Kasie Hildenbrand unfortunately has the same view. Robert Boboc didn’t bother to show up so no vote from me.
Elpi Abulencia and John Zukoski both kept an open mind about the issue.
Up the three seats are open if Sabranti gets the Mayor’s Seat. YES, Re-elect Hildenbrand, elect Zukoski and Abulencia to fill the 3 open seats. Although Hildenbrand is not open minded about relooking at a 2nd High School, at least she agrees on the High Density Housing issue
NO Hart and Boboc(by default of absenteeism)
4:11 PM on October 29th, 2008
Definitely NO to Kevin Hart for his part in turning what could have been a stellar East Dublin High into Fallon Middle School. I would say Abulencia and Zukoski for their open-mindedness to the second high school, but I hope they will be more forceful in their support going forward. Hildenbrand had said that there is “no way in hell they will approve a high school in East Dublin” and that “a second high school in East Dublin is a dead issue” before. If this woman is so hell-bent on voting against the best interest of her own daughters, what makes you think she will vote in the best interest of your children?
4:39 PM on May 6th, 2009
Without a 2nd HS in East Dublin, Dublin High’s API will always be the average of Wells’ and Fallon’s. Needless to say Fallon’s API is comparable to its neighboring cities.
Let the construction begin!
11:01 PM on May 7th, 2009
To Anonymous May 6, 2009 4:39 PM
Yes, of course, let the construction begin. I am sure you went to a HS with a perfect API score, which is why you can’t add up the simple math – we don’t have now, and won’t ever have, enough students for another HS. It really doesn’t matter as all our schools will go down the toilet next year with the cuts we are about to get. Interesting that while Rome is burning, Nero continues to pay the violin…
7:32 AM on May 22nd, 2009
How do I find out what colleges Dublin High students are admitted into every year? Is there any website or something to find out this information? Thanks.
11:25 PM on September 20th, 2009
You can find out what colleges Dublin High graduates attend simply by contacting Dublin High’s principal: Carol Shimizu (ShimizuCarol@dublin.k12.ca.us). While not published on the Dublin High website (as far as I can tell) this information is openly shared at Dublin High information events. You’ll be impressed and pleased with the diversity of colleges Dublin High graduates attend. There are a lot of myths about Dublin High. My Berkeley aspiring older daughter entered Dublin High this year and we are very pleased with the school. As an “East Dublin” resident I’ve taken the time over the past few years to meet multiple times with the Dublin High administration and school district to get to the truth about Dublin High. The truth is very positive – I encourage anyone with concerns to either (a) visit the school first hand and meet the staff or (b) talk to a parent with children there. You’ll be impressed.
7:40 AM on May 22nd, 2009
I don’t think so. My high school published that info in the school paper, so you could contact the school. Of course, I graduated in ’94 so things may have changed.
3:56 PM on September 22nd, 2009
Funny, when I was at the Day on the Glen I didn’t see any land zoned for a new high school or even a potential high school. There once was land for both a high school and middle school in the east. Once the decision was made to have one high school, at the request of the School Board, the City rezoned the land and now you see housing and a new Montessori School being built. The only other time a school was a possibility was during the initial Camp Parks planning and at that time the Army made it very clear they did not want to give more land for a high school after the 70+ acres it was allocating for an elementary school, parks, and public/semi public uses. Also, the City and the School Board were not interested in a second high at that location or anywhere else in the community. I can’t imagine a developer who is willing to sell land for a school rather than homes and from what I learned at the City Hall tent, Tassajara Prep hasn’t even approached the city regarding zoning for a new high school. Right now it’s a pipe dream.
Also, as a parent of middle school children, I DO NOT want my children to attend school with high school students and am appalled that Tassajara Prep would try to take away a fabulous middle school for it’s use and move the kids to Kolb. Kolb is not a big enough site to locate a middle school and Kolb is planned as an elementary school in order to accommodate the growth in the city. Our elementary schools are at capacity and Kolb will be too once it is opened.
This charter school idea was contrived by those behind this blog, their friends and neighbors because a few people on this blog would never let the idea of a second high school go. They see themselves as saving the east side parents from DHS and the commute. Many of them don’t have kids in DUSD and are not contributing to the overall benefit of our school community. I am extremely happy with the school system in Dublin and will drive my children across town to attend a fabulous high school. There is no need for this charter school.