Idea of Clustering Grade Schools Topic of Meetings

A school district proposal to cluster 12 campuses by grade level could end up costing the city more than $500,000 in traffic signals and crossing guards, according to a financial analysis the City Council will discuss tonight.

The report says four new traffic signals costing $480,000 and nine new adult crossing guards at $67,500 will be needed to implement the new program.

The Garden Grove Unified School District recently proposed that 12 of its 43 elementary schools be divided into clusters of three each, with two schools devoted to kindergarten through third grade and one to fourth through sixth grades in each cluster.

The Board of Education will hold a special study session today at 3:30 p.m. in the Education Center board room, 10331 Stanford Ave., to discuss parents’ concerns with the proposal. Board President Bob Harden said safety issues will be discussed.

Parents and city officials worry that the district’s plan to cluster schools will force children to cross busy streets that currently can be avoided. Included are Brookhurst Street, Chapman Avenue and Fairview Street.

The clustering plan was floated as an option to find space for class size reductions and continued growth in the district. Class size reductions are expected to expand from first to second grade next year and third grade in 1998.

The district projects that more than 200 new classrooms will be needed to accommodate booming enrollment and continuation of its class-size reduction program.

The city’s budget includes $135,000 for 18 crossing guards for Garden Grove schools.

Parents outside the city boundaries but within the district have voiced concern about their children walking past high schools and across major streets without supervision.

The council will meet at 7 p.m. in the Community Meeting Center, 11300 Stanford Ave. Information: (714) 741-5190.

Call (714) 663-6000 for information on the school district meeting.