Arroyo Vista K-8
Master HOA doesn't support Arroyo Vista PTA, won't support an issue that would split community
Apr 20, 2007 Filed in: McGreggor,
Derek
Derek McGregor, Rancho Santa Margarita
News “If it’s an issue that
splits the community…how can we support that?”
McGregor also said that SAMLARC will continue to honor the general park use policy now in place. McGregor is president of SAMLARC, the community's master HOA.
McGregor also said that SAMLARC will continue to honor the general park use policy now in place. McGregor is president of SAMLARC, the community's master HOA.
Arroyo Vista PTA caught misrepresenting national, state and district PTA support, now spinning to cover up lies
Apr 20, 2007 Filed in: Arroyo Vista
PTA
Alejandra Molina, Rancho Santa
Margarita News "The park use issue
recently resurfaced after the Arroyo Vista PTA
sent letters in February to SAMLARC and CUSD
asking them both to reassess the park use policy
at the school. Language in the letters suggested
that the national, state and district PTAs
supported the group in its efforts. The move
angered some CSRSM members, who later verified
that the national, state and district PTAs are not
taking sides on the issue. The Arroyo Vista PTA
has said it did not intend to make it sound like
the groups were on its side, and acknowledged that
language in the letter should be reworded."
The PTA letter was assertive and unequivocal in its misrepresentation about national, state and district PTA support ... so much so, that all three oraganizations saw right through the ploy and the state PTA minced no words, ordering the Arroyo Vista PTA to "cease and desist." The simple fact is, the Arroyo Vista PTA got caught doing something dishonest (again) and, as usual, they are compounding the offense by spinning to cover it up. Molina is a reporter for The Orange County Register.
The PTA letter was assertive and unequivocal in its misrepresentation about national, state and district PTA support ... so much so, that all three oraganizations saw right through the ploy and the state PTA minced no words, ordering the Arroyo Vista PTA to "cease and desist." The simple fact is, the Arroyo Vista PTA got caught doing something dishonest (again) and, as usual, they are compounding the offense by spinning to cover it up. Molina is a reporter for The Orange County Register.
CUSD doesn't support Arroyo Vista PTA, will remain neutral and honor agreement with master HOA
Apr 20, 2007 Filed in: De Nicola,
Beverly
Beverly De Nicola, Rancho Santa
Margarita News “The school district
has an agreement with SAMLARC that middle school
students won’t be using the park during school
hours. We’re a neutral party. We won’t be taking a
position one way or another.”
De Nicola is chief communications officer for CUSD.
De Nicola is chief communications officer for CUSD.
Arroyo Vista PTA should tell CUSD to fix P.E. facilities deficiencies on school site, leave community park alone
Apr 20, 2007 Filed in: Russell,
Tom
School use of Arroyo Vista Park became an issue in 2002, when CUSD announced that it intended to cram facilities for 1,500 students on the adjacent, 8-acre Arroyo Vista School site. Despite widespread community opposition and promises by CUSD to honor an agreement with the City of Rancho Santa Margarita to cap the student population at 1,050, CUSD stubbornly proceeded to build facilities for 1,500 students, anyway. This created an overbuilt, under-utilized facility that has covered most of the children's playgrounds and sports fields. See Going Going Gone Feature.
Citizens for a Safe Rancho Santa Margarita (CSRSM), a local citizen action group, warned the community and CUSD about this very problem, but CSRSM’s arguments were rejected by CUSD and the current leaders of the Arroyo Vista PTA. CUSD stated in its EIR that adequate P.E. programs would be provided at Arroyo Vista without any need for the park, and children of parents who weren’t satisfied with P.E. or other educational programs at Arroyo Vista were given dual enrollment with the option of transferring to Las Flores Middle School. But rather than taking advantage of the dual enrollment option provided by the district, or working with CUSD to remove under-utilized facilities to make room for the children, these same PTA leaders are trying to solve the problem they helped to create by dishonestly campaigning to grab the adjacent, privately-owned community park, which will adversely affect residents who use the park to walk, walk their dogs and exercise daily.
CUSD's misplaced priorities have created this facilities planning disaster, dividing the local community in bitter, protracted controversy, wasting millions in taxpayer funds on under-utilized facilities and creating serious inequities for neglected and overcrowded campuses like Newhart Middle School in Mission Viejo. This waste and inequity could be mitigated if CUSD would relocate the under-utilized facilities to Newhart, which desperately needs them. Ironically, Mission Viejo taxpayers bore the cost of the Measure A bond funds used to expand Arroyo Vista, but Arroyo Vista parents were not subject to Measure A taxes. They just received the benefit without the burden, effectively giving Arroyo Vista more than they needed while denying even the basics to substandard schools in Mission Viejo. Russell is a member of CSRSM and the spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee.
Draper makes sarcastic remarks to anti-school expansion crowd
Mar 14, 2003 Filed in: Draper,
Marlene
Trustee Draper made this sarcastic remark to rebut the crowd's vocal disapproval of the district's proposed expansion of Arroyo Vista School at the March 9, 2003 Board of Trustees meeting, where local residents made public comments unanimously opposing the district's expansion plans. The meeting was carefully controlled by district officials to avoid discussion of the actual issues of concern to residents (i.e., overbuilding on such a small school site, unsafe traffic and other impacts on the local community, increased usage of the adjacent community park, etc.). Public speakers were kept to one minute instead of the usual three minutes for remarks and were met with sharp reminders from officials that the evening's discussion was centered on K-8s in general, not Arroyo Vista in particular. Draper's comment was rebuffed with defiant applause from the Arroyo Vista crowd who opposed any change to their school, neighborhood and park.
Casabianca makes excuses for Arroyo Vista overcrowding
Aug 22, 2003 Filed in: Casabianca,
John
At the August 18, 2003 board meeting, Trustee Casabianca joined his colleagues in a 7-0 vote, giving final approval for the expansion of Arroyo Vista School from a K-5 to a K-8 school. During Trustee comments, Casabianca remembered dealing with overcrowding at Arroyo Vista -- there were 1,349 kids on campus in 1996 and 1997 -- when his children went to school there. What he refused to address, was that CUSD had created such overcrowding by systemmatically violating the exemption process under Title 14 of the California Environmental Quality Act. Between 1993 and 1999, the district illegally expanded Arroyo Vista School by nearly 100% of its original student capacity without preparing any environmental impact study or report whatsoever -- three times the 25% limit they were restricted to under Title 14. Casabianca and his colleagues were advised of this before he voted to approve the project.
Casabianca acknowledges severity of community division caused by district's Arroyo Vista School expansion plans
Aug 22, 2003 Filed in: Casabianca,
John
Comment made by Trustee Casabianca at the August 18, 2003 board meeting, during which the Trustees, over the objections of numerous residents, approved the construction of the Arroyo Vista K-8 expansion without first completing an environmental report as required by the California Environmental Quality Act.