Comments on: MT. DIABLO DIVORCE Part II: Caught in middle as petition to move W.C. schools submitted

By: jburrell

jburrell — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:58:31 +0000

Hi, Annalee —
School borders run through the middle of the city of Walnut Creek, so depending on where you live, your children will go to Walnut Creek and Acalanes district schools, or to Mt. Diablo schools. It’s a strange state of affairs, for sure, and you are not the first family to express indignation and confusion. If you need further information on those borders and your options, including district transfers, it’s best to contact the Walnut Creek and Mt. Diablo school districts directly.

By: Annalee

Annalee — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:14:39 +0000

I currently live in walnut creek and have been told that my child has to go to a pleasant hill middle school and a high school in concord. this is absurd as we moved to walnut creek to go to a walnut creek school. they say its a gray area? I dont care about that my home was over 690,000 and they tell me this… I am livid and who can I contact in reguard to this. I pay taxes in walnut creek and expect to go to a walnut creek school. this is unexceptable.

By: David

David — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:53:49 +0000

In the unlikely event that the petition is successful, and The Crossings and Crystal Ranch are kicked out of Foothill and Northgate, I wouldn’t be surprised if those in Concord’s Limeridge neighborhood which is included in the petition, take their own petition to the county to have their neighborhood placed into the Walnut Creek from the city of Concord.

By: David

David — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:07:41 +0000

Don’t get your hopes up. Such big changes in schools and/or school district boundaries are extremely rare, simply because a neigboring school or school district is known as being more reputable. Keep in mind, several years back families in the fairly upscale city of Hercules in West Contra Costa, petitioned to either start their own district or merge with the John Swett School District, as they did not like being a part of the large demographically diverse West Contra Costa Unified School District. Also, a few years ago, families in one unincorporated area between Lafayette and Martinez with a Lafayette address petitioned that their neighborhood be removed from the Martinez Unified School District to the Lafayette and Acalanes School Districts. Both petitions were denied. It is my understanding that if this petition passes those in Hercules and that one unincorporated area of Lafayette will petition again, and I also understand that parents in Pleasant Hill will also start a petition to get out of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

By: jody perspective

jody perspective — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:10:35 +0000

As a newcomer to the area, I was surprised that all of Walnut Creek wasn’t in the same school district. Logically that makes sense to me.

I like the idea of moving Northgate and feeder schools because it seems that there is more support for education and teachers in the Acalanes district according to my experience, the paper and parents of Los Lomas students. I was very disappointed at the length of time my student at Northgate went without a teacher (nearly a year in one case and a semester in another).

I shop at the Concord Costco and believe kids benefit from being in classrooms that are ethnically and economically mixed.

Drawing district lines is always difficult and more discussion seems to be needed on how to handle tha.

By: Beth

Beth — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 04:08:56 +0000

I’ve also heard the Costco thing before. I guess they can come to Lamorinda to work as domestics, but no one wants to see where they live.

By: Beth

Beth — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 04:07:00 +0000

As a parent of a 2007 Northgate graduate, I can tell you that the problem is not Concord kids. My child’s cellphone was confiscated because it rang during class. The staff was shocked because I didn’t scream and stomp and demand the immediate return of the phone. I didn’t tell them that the phone was my property and they couldn’t keep it. I didn’t demand the little card (PCS card? I dunno) so I could stick it in another phone for my kid’s use. Nope, not me…I just follow the rules and don’t feel like my kid (or I) am exempt from the rules. Staff kept it for a week, and my child learned his lesson.

I couldn’t believe my kid when he talked about the WC kids discussing their drug use, sexual activity, and abortions. The stuff my son would tell me — it would make your hair stand on end.

Look at Acalanes: In their recent history, they’ve had a kid beat a Lafayette woman to death, bring a gun to school, and bring a bomb to school.

The problem with these kids is that they have no limits or boundaries, and their parents — their role models — model behavior in which they see personal entitlement and a lack of empathy for others.

By: David

David — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:03:05 +0000

It is only now just being realized that the plan is to kick the Crossings and Crystal Ranch neighborhoods in Concord out of Foothill and Northgate, to bring in the areas of Walnut Creek around Treat and Bancroft where the kids are assigned to Oak Grove Middle and Ygnacio Valley High to Foothill and Northgate. And it is because they do not want Concord kids who come out of Concord elementary and middle schools going to Foothill and Northgate which is the only reason why Concord’s Limeridge neighborhood is being allowed to come along as Limeridge goes to Valle Verde Elementary, Foothill and Northgate, where as the Crossings comes from Concord’s Highlands Elementary, before going to Foothill and Northgate, and Crystal Ranch attends both Highlands Elementary, and Pine Hollow Middle School before going to Northgate. It is a very ignorant act, and I have heard many ignorant comments that supposedly the kids from the Crossings and Crystal Ranch are causing problems at Foothill and Northgate, and they say it is because of the Concord kids who influence them before going to Walnut Creek schools. It is just plain wrong of Walnut Creek to think that way!!

By: David

David — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:07:52 +0000

I agree with Beth. Many Walnut Creek families believe that all of Concord is ghetto, and that is why they are petitioning to be removed from MDUSD, and that is why the Crossings and Crystal Ranch would be knocked out, as they feel that since they attend Concord’s Highlands Elementary and/or Pine Hollow Middle before going to Foothill/Northgate. That is only why Limeridge is included, as Limeridge kids attend all of their K-12 schooling in Walnut Creek. It is also why they want to bring in the areas of Walnut Creek where the kids attend Oak Grove Middle and Ygnacio Valley High into Foothill and Northgate. I understand that some families in Walnut Creek who are Costco members will not even go to the Concord Costco, instead they will drive all the way to the one in Danville, because they feel that Concord is ghetto.

By: Donna

Donna — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:04:39 +0000

I think I will sue if this petition goes through. I spent a lot of time and money to move to the Crossings because it goes to Foothill and Northgate. Those who bought in WC in the YVHS attendance area paid less for their homes than they would otherwise. I do believe this petition will fail because it does result in a substantial increase in property values for the properties included in the transfer, while decreasing those excluded.

The only option is for npft parents to move or send their kids to private. It is what most people do when unhappy with the schools. They don’t want to move, they say that is running away from the problem. But isn’t changing districts running away from the problem?

The other arguement is that there is no community. Kids in WC have different schedules, and can’t dance together. Please. A petition for the same academic calendar would more likely get approved. WC recreation often hold events for WC residents.

This petition will get people’s attention on the real issue, fixing MDUSD.