The Future of Kolb Elementary School
The Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) School Board met on December 1st to discuss potentially pushing out the opening of Kolb Elementary School (located adjacent to the Sorrento East residential development near Gleason Drive) to at least the 2011-2012 school year due to the unexpected drop in developer impact fees to pay for new school construction.
While funding may not be available to build Kolb Elementary School, east Dublin is expected to have 126 more elementary school students than seats in our classrooms by 2010-2011 and 360 more students than our schools can handle in the 2011-2012 school year if Kolb Elementary School is not built.
The DUSD School Board discussed three potential solutions:
- Borrow $6M to build Kolb Elementary School in time for the 2010-2011 school year.
- Delay building Kolb Elementary School until additional developer impact fees are available.
- Build a smaller-capacity Kolb Elementary School with the current available funds (capacity 350), then expand the site in several years as developer impact fees become available.
In addition to maintaining Fallon Middle School as an “overflow” school for K-5 students, the following short-term solutions were discussed as a way to address the projected over-capacity at east Dublin elementary schools:
- Build portables at John Green Elementary School and add several more portables at Dougherty Elementary School. This option would result in schools with larger student populations than the DUSD approved optimum and reduce the amount of available blacktop space for athletic activities.
- Make a permanent boundary change for Dougherty Elementary School to send all kids living west of Arnold Road or Hacienda Drive to west side elementary schools.
- Divert ‘excess’ students to west Dublin schools (150-200 in 2010-2011 and 350-450 in 2011-2012). This approach would most likely impact new students.
DUSD School Board member John Ledahl made a proposal to discuss these options in more detail during an early January 2009 closed session to reduce the number of options before the Board makes a formal presentation to the public. The DUSD School Board will most likely hold an open session/workshop in mid-January 2009 before meeting on January 27, 2009 to make a final decision on the future of Kolb Elementary School.
Parents are encouraged to attend and speak at the January meetings and workshop. The School Board decision on January 27, 2009 could potentially impact every parent and student living in Dublin.
Special thanks to DUSD School Board candidate Dan Cherrier for contributing to this article. Please feel free to email Dan Cherrier at dan@dublindan.com for more information.
9:14 PM on December 17th, 2008
John Z. I am curious where you get the information that about a proposal to discuss Kolb in a January closed session? I can’t find reference to that anywhere in munites or on the district wed-site. Where did you hear that? Did your source say why it would be a closed session discussion anyway? Did Mr. Ledahl not learn anything from his handling of the Nielsen closure debacle???? Closed sessions don’t provide the transparancy he has spouted off about when the camera is on.
The delay of Kolb is a virtual certainty. The only solution is to adjust boundaries to Arnold. When Kolb does open it needs be fully complete and ready to house all the Fallon Elementary students so that Fallon can become a real middle school like it is meant to be.
If there is a closed session we need to picket it and press for openness. If there is an open meeting we need to attend and be heard. The board has proven that it makes poor decisions behind closed doors only to cave to public pressure later. Hopefully things will change with a new board….
12:46 AM on December 18th, 2008
I am no longer a member of the Board of Trustees of the Dublin Unified School District so I speak in no official capacity other than having served on the board for 8 years but I do know that the board can only meet in closed session for a limited number of reasons. One of those reasons is the discussion of any possible or anticipated litigation. The board held an open workshop in early December (which Dan Cherrier attended) to discuss the options for Kolb Elementary’s construction, financing and opening date. I do recall the incoming board agreeing to continue a public discussion in January when additional information will be available with a decision necessary by January 27th should Kolb be needed to open by August 2010.
I encourage everyone interested in these discussions to keep an eye out for the scheduled board meetings in January as well as a possible “town hall” type meeting. Please attend, listen to the discussion and participate and be involved.
The decision on when Fallon will become a true middle school will also be an important component but will be more closely tied to the need to divert students to schools further to the west versus continuing to house them at Fallon. One key decision will be whether or not to “hold” a class of 5th graders at Fallon so that they will not have to move to Kolb and then back to Fallon a year later. In light of the state budget this will be as much a financial decision as an educational decision.
But I am starting to sound like a board member again and we have 5 bright, intelligent and capable board members who will make these decisions with the proper public input. The 2 newest board members, Greg Tomlinson and Dan Cunningham will do a great job for the students of the district.
Board members can be contacted at the information posted on the district website http://www.dublin.k12.ca.us
Denis King
Former Board Member
Dublin Unified
925-829-9144
10:43 AM on December 18th, 2008
Thanks Mr. King for trying to set the previous poster right.
To anonymous: I don’t know where you heard about a pre-planned closed session, but they typically aren’t pre-planned. As noted closed sessions are for aniticipated litigation and private personnel items that could possibly lead to litigation. At this point there are no pre-planned closed sessions.
However, the Kolb situation needs to be addressed in January. To do that the board has asked for a public meeting in January. The board also has directed staff to set up a new Boundary Committee to address all district boundaries. This too will start in early 2009. Perhaps anonymous wishes to join that committee. He/she would have to identify themself first.
Hopefully this corrects the misinformation that the previous poster stated.
John Ledahl
LedahlJohn@dublin.k12.ca.us
12:22 PM on December 18th, 2008
Thank you John and Denis, much appreciate you input and clarification.
We look forward to dialog and working with the new board.
11:44 PM on December 20th, 2008
Why oh why would the school board ever decide to delay Kolb without also gathering all the facts and making a concurrent decision on a boundary change.
Sounds like approving graduation requirements without knowing how to implement them?
If you are going to delay Kolb then adjust boundaries. If you don’t want to change boundaries then build Kolb on time.
11:23 AM on December 21st, 2008
Hey Ledahl. Do you even read the blog? The very start of this thread the text reads:
“DUSD School Board member John Ledahl made a proposal to discuss these options in more detail during an early January 2009 closed session to reduce the number of options before the Board makes a formal presentation to the public.”
Then, when another posting references it you claim mis-information. Would you please either get the correct info yourself from the beginning or correct it right away from the source.
Perhaps you can be more helpful by telling us some real information like dates and times for meetings or how to join these committees you talk about. Where did you ever hold signups?
Here is a simple question. What is the time, date and location of the next meeting where the board will discuss finances and boundaries.
When (time, date and location) will you hold the next budget discussion and boundary meetings and why would you not hold them together? Sounds like closed sessions aren’t the only things not pre-planned.
12:09 PM on December 21st, 2008
Sorry pal. I don’t respond to sarcasm. I already responded to the blog statement about planned closed sessions as being inaccurate. Check the district website for planned board meetings. Every meeting is announced on the website. Come to a meeting and speak publicly about your concerns above.
3:21 PM on December 21st, 2008
John, these are the ones that diminishes the importance of this blog. Lots of attacks with no offer of solution.
I was about to say the same thing, check the City website my neibhbor for the Agenda all meetings, both at City Hall and at the School District.
Even if there was a closed or special sesssion, the Agenda would say so thus no mystery.
I don’t always agree with you John but I agree with your response here.
6:52 PM on December 21st, 2008
So, there we have it.. Little to no value from John Ledahl our elected official who choses to use this blog for his own propoganda. Read the web-site – that’s it. No mention of the closed session he supposedly called for. Only accusations of mis-information.
I guess he is here only to represent the people who voted for him and no one else. Perhaps he would favor posting election results by name.
At least John Z posts meaningful and relevant information. John Z keep up the good work. I still question your source of information Re: Closed session which you attribute to John L. I suggest looking elsewhere for more reliable information.
5:31 AM on December 25th, 2008
The county just saved millions, on that property they just bought for the district. I read this somewhere that they bought the old lumber yard for 5 or 6 million instead of 15 million as was the price before this little recession.. there is an extra 10 million right there..
8:19 PM on December 29th, 2008
Tom,
I am pretty sure the school district is separate from the city council. If the city saved $ on the purchase of land they will probably use it for more affordable housing which they will undoubtedly place in east Dublin. The school district on the other hand has virtually no way to raise funds other than to ask for donations or parcel/bond taxes – not always very popular.
What they will do is cut services like not opening a school for the overcrowding in east Dublin. As Ledahl does not comment we will just have to wait and see whether they delay or not. Want to place a bet?
Oh, John Z just posted a note about a meeting on Jan 6 which will discuss the things you have questions about. He is very helpful with his information. Unlike Ledahl who says to read the web-site – which does not even list the Jan 6 meeting…