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Hillcrest Enrollment Planning
OUSD Board of Education Adopted New Enrollment Priorities on June 25, 2008 as the First Step in a Process to Match Demand for Schools with Capacity
On June 25, 2008, the Board of Education set a new order of priorities for admission to schools in the district. These new policies are numbered 5116 and 5116.1. The text of the new policies can be found by clicking here.
The core priorities that have been established are:
- Neighborhood and Non-Neighborhood Siblings
- Neighborhood Non-Siblings
- Redirected Students within the Middle School Boundary (as defined in the board policy maps)
- Program Improvement
- General Lottery
What does this mean for families residing in the current Hillcrest attendance area?
Siblings: Any sibling of a student who will attend the school together has priority to attend the school. That means that if an incoming K has a sibling who will be attending Hillcrest at the same time, the incoming K has priority over neighborhood non-siblings. The policy is now neutral to where the sibling lives so that if a family moved out of the attendance area, the younger sibling continues to hold priority. With respect to families moving, this policy does not make much of a difference for Hillcrest. There are very few families that leave the attendance area during the time that their student attends school at Hillcrest. The sibling policy was adopted in response to concerns by parents in more mobile parts of Oakland. The board recognized that in a large portion of Oakland, people do not own their homes and may not be "choosing" to leave a neighborhood but must move of necessity. The Board also heard of many people who take their children to school on the bus and simply cannot get children to school on time if they are in 2 or 3 different schools. This part of the policy is intended to address broader Oakland concerns and is important because it highlights that this is not just about Hillcrest or Montclair or Peralta.
That being said, this policy could be important for the Hillcrest area should our boundaries be reduced by the Board at a later date. Specifically, if boundary lines shrink for Hillcrest so that some portion of our attendance area is shifted to another elementary school, younger siblings would have priority to keep families currently attending Hillcrest together. This policy therefore avoids the need for a grandfathering policy for siblings if boundaries are adjusted.
Redirection: Each year the district determines how many Ks each school can admit. If a school receives more K applications than spaces available, some prospective Ks are redirected to another OUSD school. Under the prior system, redirected Ks from Hillcrest had the lowest possible priority for assignment outside of their attendance area. Under the new approach, prospective K parents will fill out their enrollment options form -- presumably listing Hillcrest as choice number 1 -- but then also ranking their second through seventh choices based on the new priority system. Hillcrest families will have priority after siblings and neighborhood students to select Chabot, Kaiser, Emerson, Sankofa, Peralta, or Santa Fe. Three of these scools, Chabot, Kaiser, and Peralta are highly regarded by many parents and students alike although Peralta also experiences overcrowding.
Next Steps: The Board committed to continuing the work of the Special Committee that has been addressing these issues to try to either add capacity or redraw boundaries as needed to more closely match demand with capacity. The goal is for redirection to be a safety valve not the normal operating procedure. As meetings are scheduled, we will try to post information on this page. Your caucus representatives should be your primary source of enrollment development information.
Please contact your LRPC representative if you have additional questions.
Board of Education Meeting to Consider Enrollment Changes, June 25, 2008 at 4 pm
- Enrollment policies scheduled to be addressed at 6:15 pm
- Location: 1025 Second Ave., Board Room
- Key documents are embedded in the agenda -- click here.
Caucus Elections for new LRPC Reps, May 20, 2008
Click here to read a letter from the Long Range Planning Committee laying out milestones and next steps for the upcoming school year.
Community Forums
OUSD has established a schedule for Community Forums to discuss the enrollment issues. Click here to download and print the Community Forums flyer (pdf). We are told that it does not matter which forum you attend – they will all be the same.
OUSD Special Committee – Related Documents
The following documents are relevant to the meeting of the OUSD Special Committee on School Admissions, Attendance, and Boundaries (SAAB). They include a summary of the admissions data for the upcoming school year for affected schools and a calendar of the activities of the SAAB Special Committee. In addition, there is a summary of the district's meeting with Redwood Heights Elementary School and a list of Draft Discussion Topics for Option Policy Focus Groups.
- Summary of 2008-2009 Admissions Data for Affected Schools (pdf)
- SAAB Calendar of Activities (pdf)
- Redwood Heights Meeting Summary 02-28-08 (pdf)
- Draft Discussion Topics for Options Policy Focus Groups (pdf)
Please note that the SAAB Special Committee meets next on Friday, March 14, 2008, at 7:30 a.m. at 1025 Second Avenue in the Board Room.
Note also that there will be a followup community engagement meeting with OUSD on Monday, March 17th, at 7:00 p.m.
All Hillcrest attendance area families are welcome.
Summary of Special Committee on School Admissions, Attendance, and Boundaries
The following summarizes a meeting of the Special Committee on School Admissions, Attendance, and Boundaries that occurred on February 22, 2008. We are circulating this summary based on notes taken during the meeting in advance of the Board's official minutes being posted to provide you with prompt information regarding the progress of the Committee's work. The tentative date for the Hillcrest Community Engagement meeting is March 17, 2008. We will get you firm information as soon as we have it.
February 22, 2008
Present from the Committee: Kerry Hamill and Christopher Dobbins. Gary Yee was absent.
District Staff: Kirsten Vital and Juwen Lam, among others.
Public: Charles Pelton, Karin Foust, Tamara Morrish, Wendy Morrison
Meeting began with a report by OUSD Staff on the project they are doing to district-wide enrollment policies. Some points made:
- Neighborhood schools remains the preference notwithstanding discussion of a broad look at policies regarding enrollment.
- The district is now seriously looking at how best to utilize the Far West site, which is not fully enrolled. A community engagement meeting is being scheduled with Far West to let them know that they may be impacted. One board member indicated a desire that any use of Far West be viewed as an expansion of Hillcrest rather than as a standalone elementary school. Charles Pelton, Hillcrest School Site Council, stated that apparently the Hillcrest committee is supportive of looking at additional capacity such as Far West. Charles also confirmed with the staff and board present that there will only be 40 kindergarteners admitted in the next cycle, with staff again emphasizing that this is not necessarily 2 classes of 20 given need for K/1 splits. Children leaving upper grades will not be filled in with new students. Order of priority remains as stated in the January policy statement (neighborhood siblings, neighborhood non-siblings, non-neighborhood siblings, etc.)
- Staff reported that it met with Montclair families on February 12th. Montclair has received over 80 applications and the Montclair community feels the district should undertake the surveying task, not parents. The district indicated that last year which showed that 25% of the applicants last year did not show up. If that is an indicator for current year, then 20 kids might not show up. Montclair families concerned about neighborhood kids being on an equal priority with redirected kids.
- Other meetings scheduled – Kaiser on April 2nd, Thornhill on March 18th and Chabot unscheduled so far.
- The work plan to complete the evaluation of enrollment is extended through May 26 with a recommendation to the full Board in June.
- Next meeting of the Special Committee is scheduled for Friday, March 7th at 7:30 a.m., again in the Board Room at the District office building.
The following message is sent to all Oakland families from Kerry Hamill on behalf of the OUSD Board's Special Committee on School Admissions, Attendance and Boundaries.
Warm regards to all Oakland families:
I know that many of you spent huge amounts of time last year trying to be heard and to get information from the district on current and future enrollment trends in OUSD. A large body of work was done last year by the district and the families who attend Hillcrest K-8 school in response to overcrowding issues in that attendance area.
But the analysis - and the community response to the analysis - made it clear that the number of potential kindergarten families in adjacent attendance area were also increasing, and that an action to correct one problem could lead to more widespread overcrowding. The School Board decided to postpone a decision about any boundary changes until the staff was able to do more analysis and conduct additional meetings at potentially impacted school.
That process has begun.
Board President David Kakishiba has appointed a Special Committee on School Admissions, Attendance and Boundaries. I chair the committee, and its members include school board members Gary Yee and Christopher Dobbins. Not only will this group look at overcrowding issues in the school district, but we will also review the priorities which currently drive the district's open enrollment process. At our work's conclusion, we will recommend some policies to the full School Board which will help to resolve some of the overcrowding issues. We will also comment on the district's current open enrollment priorities, and possibly recommend some policy changes.
We have met with the staff two times to review the group's scope of work. I am including in this e-mail three attachments [see below], which have been offered by staff by way of background. The material includes a summary of how other district's prioritize enrollment placement into schools, the district's current enrollment, broken down by school site, and a list of all new schools that have been created in the past 8 years.
Our work plan requires staff, School Board members and families to meet at each of the following schools (chosen because of possible overcrowding concerns):
Hillcrest, Kaiser, Redwood Heights, Peralta, Franklin, Horace Mann, Chabot, Lincoln, Montclair and Thornhill.
Our plan is to meet at school sites between February 18 and the end of March. During those meetings, the district will present real-time information about enrollment trends using current enrollment information and answer questions about next year's enrollment outlook and beyond.
We will also host public hearings districtwide to discuss the open enrollment priorities.
Please check with your principal about the date and time of your scheduled meeting, which will also be posted on the district's website. The members of the commitee will meet again with staff Friday, February 22 at 7:30 am in the Board Room (first floor) at 1025 Second Avenue. All are welcome.
All the best,
Kerry Hamill
Attachments (Click on the description to download and print the pdf files):
- Enrollment Practices in Large Urban Public School Districts
- 2007-2008 OUSD Demographics By Site
- Info on Closed Schools
Enrollment Update January 30, 2008
The district staff issued a letter on January 30, 2008, to Principals, Parents, and Guardians to let them know how the enrollment priorities will be established for the 2008-2009 enrollment window.
This reflects implementation of the Board policy that was adopted on December 19, 2007, to provide an interim solution for any overcrowded school. Click here to read the letter (pdf file).Minutes from Board of Education Meeting on Dec. 19, 2007
Read a redacted version of the minutes (pdf file) pertaining to Hillcrest School.
Minutes from Board of Education Meeting on Dec. 12, 2007
Read a redacted version of the minutes (pdf file) pertaiing to Hillcrest School.
Resolution from Board of Education meeting January 7, 2008
On January 7, 2008, the Board of Education met for its annual organizational meeting. David Kakishiba was re-elected as president and Alice Spearman as vice-president. In addition, the Board adoped the following resolution:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a Special Committee on School Admissions, Attendance and Boundaries is hereby created, with the specific charge to investigate, review and make policy recommendations to the Governing Board on the stated subject matter, and other matters as may be subsequently assigned, if any, by not later than the last Regular Meeting in April, 2008 (in lieu of April 2), and thereafter the Committee shall dissolve, unless extended by affirmative vote of the Board, and that Kerry Hamill, as Chair, Gary Yee and Christopher Dobbins, are appointed members thereof.
Statement from Board of Education meeting Wednesday December 19, 2007
On December 19, 2007, the Board of Education met to consider the OUSD staff recommendation to redraw the boundary lines for the Hillcrest, Montclair and Thornhill school attendance areas. At this meeting Director Kerry Hamill offered the following statement and motion. After discussion among the board members and a friendly amendment (the text of which we do not yet have), the motion was unanimously approved by the Board.
A clear and transparent enrollment process is essential for all families.
Board policies which drive the current enrollment and assignments through the options process are currently being reviewed by a board subcommittee with district staff to ensure that they fully reflect the goals and objectives of the newly empowered school board.
The process of modifying OUSD boundaries should be tabled until Spring, 2008 to give the School Board and staff time to reach consensus on board policy related to enrollment, boundaries, the district's open enrollment process and the city's need to be certain that we ensure access to a quality education to all of our students.
With these factors in mind, I move that the board postpone a decision regarding a boundary change for the Hillcrest K-8 school attendance area until the conclusion of the board's work reviewing the current enrollment policy, and that the issue of overcrowding and enrollment issues at Hillcrest and potentially other Oakland schools return to the board for future consideration not later than April, 2008.
During the intervening months, staff and members of the school board will conduct meetings with the Hillcrest, Chabot, Montclair, Kaiser and all other school communities potentially affected by the overcrowding to review future enrollment projections and other factors which may arise.
During the intervening months, the district should assess and explore any and all alternatives which could allow an increase of the supply of K-8 spaces in North Oakland, and possibly expand the number of students who may attend Hillcrest Elementary school.
For the 2008-2009 school year, all families within any OUSD overcrowded attendance area not placed at their home school will be redirected through the district open enrollment process to their next closest neighboring school.
In addition, the district has an administrative regulation to address overcrowding. It states:
OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
AR 5116- School Attendance Boundaries
Students
The Governing Board shall regularly review school attendance boundaries, taking into account school capacities and enrollment data, geographic features, student safety and transportation, racial and ethnic balance, educational programs, and community input.
(cf. 5116.1 - Intradistrict Open Enrollment)
The Superintendent or designee may place some students in a school outside of their attendance area in order to alleviate overcrowding. The Superintendent or designee places students into a nearby school taking into account space, proximity to the residence and parent preference.
Pursuant to district policy, all students have priority to attend their neighborhood school. Pre-K, 5th grade and 8th Grade families must participate in the Intradistrict Open Enrollment process by completing an application listing their neighborhood school within the Intradistrict Open Enrollment window. Upon assignment, they must confirm their enrollment by the May confirmation date or forfeit their enrollment. Priority is given first to neighborhood siblings, then other neighborhood students.
While it is our intention that students will be able to attend their neighborhood school if desired, it is possible that neighborhood applicants exceed the seat capacity of the neighborhood school. If families apply during the Intradistrict Open Enrollment window, neighborhood siblings will receive first priority, then other neighborhood students, then outside neighborhood siblings, then PI status, and then lottery.
When a neighborhood site is filled, students will be redirected to a nearby school or to their next preference on the application if space is available. After the Intradistrict Open Enrollment window, parents/guardians may appeal if their student does not receive a school they applied for. Students who have appealed to enter their neighborhood school will be placed on the waitlist for that neighborhood school. The Student Assignment and Bilingual Testing Office will make assignments from the waitlist as space becomes available through the first three weeks of school. Afterwards, requests must be made as Intradistrict transfers for the current year.
When boundaries are changed, the Superintendent or designee will make every effort to keep siblings together, therefore "grandfathering" the neighborhood sibling priority for one year. If a redirection must occur due to space availability, families who appeal will be placed on the waitlist for that neighborhood school. The Student Assignment and Bilingual Testing office will make assignments from the waitlist as space becomes available.
(Emphasis added.)
OUSD Response to questions from Hillcrest community regarding recommendation for solution to overcrowding (12/12/07)
A set of questions was posed to OUSD subsequent to the proposal presented by OUSD at the December 6 meeting at Hillcrest. Read OUSD's response (pdf file).
Please note: For purposes of simplicity, the portion of the current Hillcrest area redistricted to Chabot is referred to as Area C, the portion redistricted to Montclair as Area M and the portion retained as Hillcrest as Area H – as some of the questions relate to the grandfathering and middle school priorities. Unless otherwise specified, all of the priority questions refer to what happens after the 2008-2009 transition period.
OUSD Board Meeting December 12, 2007 at 5 p.m.
The following is a statement that a representative from the Hillcrest Long Range Planning Committee read at the OUSD Board of Education meeting.
Statement of the Hillcrest Long Range Planning Committee to the Board of Education Oakland Unified School District
December 12, 2007
I am pleased to be here on behalf of the Hillcrest Long Range Planning Committee. Our committee, formed in May, worked for 4 months to develop recommendations for OUSD to remedy the severe overcrowding at and growing excess kindergarten demand for this small school. The LRPC was comprised of: 3 pre-K parents, representatives from different grade bands in the school, a neighbor with no children at Hillcrest, the PTA president, and a school site council representative. We operated by consensus – there were no votes – we all agreed on the recommendations and recognized they would require compromise by all members of our community.
We thank the district staff for their hard work in crafting a solution to the overcrowding problem, which was pitting neighbors against one another and creating intolerably tight space in which the kids have to learn. District staff studied Hillcrest's situation, with its high retention rates at all grade levels, and recommends that you redraw attendance area boundaries to better match supply of space with demand from the neighborhood. The staff also recognizes the importance of the successful Hillcrest Middle School. Our community's support for the middle school and the K-8 model is extremely strong.
As a committee, we support the staff recommendation to shrink the Hillcrest attendance area. We urge the district staff to continue to evaluate attendance area data as it makes the decision to ensure that the lines are properly drawn so as to minimize impacts on neighboring schools, while still ensuring that the Hillcrest excess demand problem is solved. We understand that some have suggested that the line towards Montclair may need adjustment so as not to overburden Montclair. We ask that the district staff review their data in the next week as well as the data provided by the LRPC to confirm or adjust that line. Importantly, lines need to be redrawn by next week so that families enrolling for fall 2008 have certainty about school assignments. Hillcrest cannot tolerate another year with our overcrowding and enrollment demand unresolved. We urge that the Board take final action to adjust boundaries on the 19th.
We also ask you to consider LRPC Report Recommendation 5. Board policy should specifically address how children that request but are denied entry to their neighborhood school will be prioritized in school assignments. OUSD now has excess demand for neighborhood schools – Hillcrest, Redwood Heights, Peralta, at least – yet Board policy is silent on what happens in these situations. Families need assurance that, if their kids are denied their neighborhood school, they'll have the highest priority to attend the alternate school of their choice that has room for intra-district transfers. Please adopt a policy to fill this gap.
Again, the Hillcrest LRPC thanks the OUSD staff and the Board for addressing these issues, and urges you – the board – to adopt boundary adjustments at your meeting next week.
THANK YOU.
Map of Recommended Boundary Adjustment now available
Click here for the map (pdf file).
OUSD Slides from December 6, 2007 meeting available
Click here for slides (pdf file).
The OUSD has provided the slides that they presented at the December 6, 2007 meeting at Hillcrest regarding the staff's proposed solutions to the overcrowding situation at our school. Please note that Kirsten Vital has asked that we consolidate any clarifying questions if we can. To that end, if you have a question about their policy, please forward to president@hillcrestpta.org and we will send to Kirsten by mid-day on Monday. The hope is to get answers back to you all before the board meeting on December 12th.