54 replies to this topic

[asbestoshills]

Do you think that Folsom High will become a second rate high school for academics now that the new high school will have block schedule and other amenities that Folsom High lacks?

For example, it seems like Vista Del Lago is trying to be the "it" school and the boundaries for the school are very interesting.....Also, did anyone besides me notice that if you rent an apartment in Folsom, you automatically go to the school on the other side of Oak Avenue....Is this redistricting income discrimination? Apartment dwellers with the exception of maybe one or two complexes will have to attend Folsom High...Why is this so? Many of the apartments, especially on Creekside are located closer to Vista Del Lago......It's like there will be a have and have not high school....
My daughter is embarrassed to attend Sutter Middle School....It looks like a prison camp on the outside with little or no maintenance or remodeling.....It's not a blue ribbon school either...Whats the deal with not refurbishing it like the Folsom Middle or Blanche Sprentz? Folsom High also doesn't keep it's grounds very nice even though the neighborhood pays special fees for upkeep....
Just my not so humble opinion

[tgianco]

Um...no.

I'm sure both will be excellent schools. If you've been to high schools outside of Folsom, you would know Folsom High (ammenity-wise) is still one of the nicest.

Compare it to facilities in the Bay Area, and Folsom High is state of the art.

The other side of Oak Ave? That's classic!

[MikeinFolsom]

You know what really bothers me about the local schools? The lack of upkeep in the landscaping. Ever see the ball fields at Theodore Judah? Potholes, weeds, 12" grass....etc. Rediculous. Parent groups have tried to volunteer to detail the baseball fields so the kids can have a nice field to play on, but have been told they are not allowed due to the school's custodian union blocking those attempts. They have said that if the fields are to be worked on, it will be by their paid employees.

So obviously the field goes undone. It's not just at Judah either. It is prevalent at most area schools. Why? I live in the Parkways and pay a mello-roos bond payment every month. They are not building an elementary school like they had promised, so where does that money go? Oh yeah, to Folsom Hills Elementary, which is already built.

Anyone on the school board that can answer these questions?

[asbestoshills]

Not everyone who lives in Folsom has seen the dark side of the Bay Area....just kidding....Just to let you know, I have been in this area for 10 years and before that Redding and Chico...Our schools were great in both places and I never experienced gangs in schools etc.....Not everyone has experienced the ghetto of public schools in big cities....So, I say let's not just be greatful that Folsom will have two nice schools, but let's keep the standard as high as possible. I hate when people think that these schools are better than others.....I expect that public schools should be the model for education and not the exception...Most of my friends (we are in our early 30s), attended public schools and are very successful...When the expectation of a school such as Folsom High is perceived to be lower than its new counterpart, the morale and the school will suffer....It's important to put as much effort into the older schools as well as the new...Blanche Sprentz is a shining example of how an older school can still be awesome...My child attends Gallardo and we don't go on half of the field trips or do as many science projects as the second graders at that school.....

[cw68]

Do you think that Folsom High will become a second rate high school for academics now that the new high school will have block schedule and other amenities that Folsom High lacks?

For example, it seems like Vista Del Lago is trying to be the "it" school and the boundaries for the school are very interesting.....Also, did anyone besides me notice that if you rent an apartment in Folsom, you automatically go to the school on the other side of Oak Avenue....Is this redistricting income discrimination? Apartment dwellers with the exception of maybe one or two complexes will have to attend Folsom High...Why is this so? Many of the apartments, especially on Creekside are located closer to Vista Del Lago......It's like there will be a have and have not high school....
My daughter is embarrassed to attend Sutter Middle School....It looks like a prison camp on the outside with little or no maintenance or remodeling.....It's not a blue ribbon school either...Whats the deal with not refurbishing it like the Folsom Middle or Blanche Sprentz? Folsom High also doesn't keep it's grounds very nice even though the neighborhood pays special fees for upkeep....
Just my not so humble opinion

"Other side of Oak Avenue?" Is that a bad place? And embarrassed to attend Sutter Middle School? How can you be embarrassed by the public school which you have to attend because of boundaries?

Knowing how expensive schools are to retrofit and upkeep, I really don't care if it looks like a prison camp outside. (I don't think it looks like that, it just doesn't look all shiny new and tract home beige.) It's what goes on inside that counts.

[ducky]

I'm with the camp that cares more about the quality of what is going on inside the classroom than manicured lawns on the outside of schools.

I'd love to see the fields at Theodore Judah cleaned up like they used to be, but I always assumed money was the problem, same with Sutter. I have noticed that they are making an attempt to clean up Sutter Middle. The track looks much nicer right now and the baseball field along the Coloma side has been cleaned up nicely and I saw a girls' softball team practicing there just the other day (although they didnt replace the bleachers). They have finally removed that pile 'o chairs and garbage that was behind the old pool building, so that was nice to see.

Why only point out Judah? My son practiced T-ball a couple years ago at Natoma Station and the field was a mess with potholes and foot-high grass.

I really hope that people don't make one school a "have" or "have not" school, so let's do our best as parents not to perpetuate that kind of attitude.

[DavidH]

Do you think that Folsom High will become a second rate high school for academics now that the new high school will have block schedule and other amenities that Folsom High lacks?

For example, it seems like Vista Del Lago is trying to be the "it" school and the boundaries for the school are very interesting.....Also, did anyone besides me notice that if you rent an apartment in Folsom, you automatically go to the school on the other side of Oak Avenue....Is this redistricting income discrimination? Apartment dwellers with the exception of maybe one or two complexes will have to attend Folsom High...Why is this so? Many of the apartments, especially on Creekside are located closer to Vista Del Lago......It's like there will be a have and have not high school....
My daughter is embarrassed to attend Sutter Middle School....It looks like a prison camp on the outside with little or no maintenance or remodeling.....It's not a blue ribbon school either...Whats the deal with not refurbishing it like the Folsom Middle or Blanche Sprentz? Folsom High also doesn't keep it's grounds very nice even though the neighborhood pays special fees for upkeep....
Just my not so humble opinion

I agree with sections of your post but question the following:

My daughter is embarrassed to attend Sutter Middle School....It looks like a prison camp on the outside with little or no maintenance or remodeling.....It's not a blue ribbon school either...Whats the deal with not refurbishing it like the Folsom Middle or Blanche Sprentz?

Sutter Middle School has been modernized twice in the last 13 years. What specifically is your daughter embarassed about?

[asbestoshills]

First of all, the school district changed the boundaries not me....It's just an observation...Check it out for yourself if you don't believe me....Most of the students who live in an apartment in Folsom will attend Folsom High with the exception of the apartments across the st. from the new high school.....Income discrimination is based upon the assessment that usually lower income students usually reside in apartments or rental homes.....Why do students who live in The Falls and other apts. have to attend Folsom High? I heard about this when we rented for 6 months after the sale of our home....In addition, did you know that the students who attend Blanche Sprentz will attend Folsom Middle, but have to attend Folsom High ...WHY? Income discrimination, oh silly me that would never happen in Wholesome Folsom...There were arguments made at reboundary meetings and the parents are allowed, after much fighting to choose to let their student attend the new high school...This will be done on a case by case basis as I understand...Such b.s. because why should these students be selected to attend Folsom Middle, but then lose their friends because they have to attend a different high school than all of the other students who will have the same junior high and high school???????
The embarrassment factor comes in when you compare middle schools.....Our community has a lot of money and it should ensure that all the schools are decent on the inside and out......Pride in your school comes from the inside as well as the outside...You can have a nice home inside with all of the amenities, but if you don't keep the yard, it's not as appealing....Why isn't Sutter a distinguished school...Supposedly, you think the schools are in the same demographic, so why don't they have the same recognition? Obviously, something isn't equal......I agree that many of the schools baseball fields etc. aren't maintained properly...Why not? We have money to have a second library at Vista Del Lago, but can't keep the fields of our local schools maintained? We don't need another library.....Most of the time, except after the opening of the new library, it's rarely what I would consider crowded....
Sutter may have been updated, but it still looks like an abandoned school from the outside.....It doesn't cost much to mow the lawn or pull weeds.....I wonder if they have volunteer days to spruce it up like other schools.....Whether you believe it or not, it does matter what the schools look like or you would live in an older area and have a smaller home such as the neighborhoods surrounding Willow Creek and Judah areas....SO, don't act all high and mighty....

[tgianco]

.....Whether you believe it or not, it does matter what the schools look like or you would live in an older area and have a smaller home such as the neighborhoods surrounding Willow Creek and Judah areas....SO, don't act all high and mighty....

Silly me... I made the choice to move from the other side of Oak (Briggs Ranch) to Willow Springs. Personally, I like it a lot more over here, but everyone has their own reasons and feelings.

By the way, most of the homes in Willow Springs are just as big or bigger than the homes in Empire Ranch (not including Hillcrest), Briggs Ranch and Lexington Hills. I toured all the ER communities during the build several years ago, and most were were horribly laid out and on postage-stamp lots.

[cw68]

Silly me... I made the choice to move from the other side of Oak (Briggs Ranch) to Willow Springs. Personally, I like it a lot more over here, but everyone has their own reasons and feelings.

By the way, most of the homes in Willow Springs are just as big or bigger than the homes in Empire Ranch (not including Hillcrest), Briggs Ranch and Lexington Hills. I toured all the ER communities during the build several years ago, and most were were horribly laid out and on postage-stamp lots.

Regardless, just because things are bigger, it does not mean it is better. I love my current house, but in all honesty, I much prefer my last house which was 1536 sq feet and old, built in 1941. That's the house that will always live in my heart, as old and small and imperfect as it is.

[tgianco]

Regardless, just because things are bigger, it does not mean it is better. I love my current house, but in all honesty, I much prefer my last house which was 1536 sq feet and old, built in 1941. That's the house that will always live in my heart, as old and small and imperfect as it is.

Agreed, and a horrible layout can make a bigger home feel smaller, too.

I was responding to how "small" the homes were in Willow Springs. I can't speak for the area around Judah (where is that? is it the area on the other side of Willow Creek from Briggs Ranch?), but I can speak for Willow Springs, both the size and the layout.

[cw68]

I wonder if they have volunteer days to spruce it up like other schools.....

Have you contacted the school to volunteer?

[asbestoshills]

My daughter doesn't attend the school yet....I'm very involved in her current school..Every year, they have a clean the school up day....

[asbestoshills]

My whole point is to show how the school district is making boundaries.....

It's not me who is making the boundaries down Oak Avenue, but the school district...

Why is Vista Lago going to be more academic vs. Folsom High? Folsom High will serve the most students, so shouldn't it focus more on academics in order to serve the most students???? Am I the only one who is realizing this boundary map is not really favoring the lower income students? Just because you are lower income, does it mean you automatically aren't interested in a more academic school? Such elitist bcrap....

The highest elementary API scores are the following:
Empire Ranch, Folsom Hills, Sandra J. Gallardo and Gold Ridge.......These are the highest academic scores in this area...Two schools from the highest will attend Vista Del Lago and two from the highest schools will attend Folsom High....However, why are we making the students from Blanche Sprentz, Theodore Judah, Natoma Station, Carl Sundhal, Gallardo, and (Gold Ridge-I think) attend Folsom High? Only Empire Ranch, Folsom Hills, and Oak Chan students get to attend Vista Del Lago.....Why not make the bottom scoring populations more evened out? What's wrong with questioning the boundary lines? All of the bottom scoring schools, not in any order, (Theodore Judah, Blanche Sprentz, Natoma Station, Carl Sundhal) are attending Folsom High.....If you look at the demographics, more black and hispanic students will attend Folsom High....These two groups are the lowest test scoring students by miniorities...Asians weren't included because they score higher than Caucassians in most schools. Why does this make a difference? Because it shows how the boundaries are creating a lesser academic school for miniorities....School quality should be equal for all students especially when the schools are located so close together in Folsom.....Creating an educational boundary that excludes lower income and miniorities should be illegal when those students live closer to the new high school....The boundaries were set supposedly by location to the school, but if that's true why isn't Theodore Judah and Blanche Sprentz students attending the new high school? The schools are very close together anyways so why not split the schools by test scores and have an even mixture of scores attending the schools.....

[bv1016]

First of all, the school district changed the boundaries not me....It's just an observation...Check it out for yourself if you don't believe me....Most of the students who live in an apartment in Folsom will attend Folsom High with the exception of the apartments across the st. from the new high school.....Income discrimination is based upon the assessment that usually lower income students usually reside in apartments or rental homes.....Why do students who live in The Falls and other apts. have to attend Folsom High? I heard about this when we rented for 6 months after the sale of our home....In addition, did you know that the students who attend Blanche Sprentz will attend Folsom Middle, but have to attend Folsom High ...WHY? Income discrimination, oh silly me that would never happen in Wholesome Folsom...There were arguments made at reboundary meetings and the parents are allowed, after much fighting to choose to let their student attend the new high school...This will be done on a case by case basis as I understand...Such b.s. because why should these students be selected to attend Folsom Middle, but then lose their friends because they have to attend a different high school than all of the other students who will have the same junior high and high school???????
The embarrassment factor comes in when you compare middle schools.....Our community has a lot of money and it should ensure that all the schools are decent on the inside and out......Pride in your school comes from the inside as well as the outside...You can have a nice home inside with all of the amenities, but if you don't keep the yard, it's not as appealing....Why isn't Sutter a distinguished school...Supposedly, you think the schools are in the same demographic, so why don't they have the same recognition? Obviously, something isn't equal......I agree that many of the schools baseball fields etc. aren't maintained properly...Why not? We have money to have a second library at Vista Del Lago, but can't keep the fields of our local schools maintained? We don't need another library.....Most of the time, except after the opening of the new library, it's rarely what I would consider crowded....
Sutter may have been updated, but it still looks like an abandoned school from the outside.....It doesn't cost much to mow the lawn or pull weeds.....I wonder if they have volunteer days to spruce it up like other schools.....Whether you believe it or not, it does matter what the schools look like or you would live in an older area and have a smaller home such as the neighborhoods surrounding Willow Creek and Judah areas....SO, don't act all high and mighty....

Seriously, I find most of your posts offensive. Folsom Middle HAD to be remodeled, it was small, and almost all portable classrooms, so of course the final product will be a liitle nicer than Sutter as it was only remodernized. I am confused about what is more important to you esthetics or education. Also the Folsom Girls softball Association is in the process of revitalizing the ball park at Sutter Middle. This whole town is revitalizing for goodness sake it takes time. I have lived here my whole life and I see improvments everywhare, I mean some faster than others but still improvements.

Also if you are building a new high school and there is potential for improvement or to try something new, do you NOT do it because the other schools don't. And finally If you compared all the differant elementary schools they are differant in esthetics and in income bracket and so on, the bottom line is, do you do take everyones income, and then spread the kids out accordingly so every school is balanced? Then kids really would be separated from friends... And who knows where your kid would end up. Face it, differant neighborhoods with differant size homes have differant pricetags, and there is a for the most part differances to household income, and the school you attend is the one closest to you, so there is probability that differant schools can be and indication of income levels, but when you get to the Middle shool, high school level, there is only 2 of each so the whole town has to fit into them, there has to boundaries somewhere. These middle schools were existing schools, while the city keeps buikding homes so geographicaly it's going to be cut and dry, and with the high schools, those are strangely located also so it a strange boundary line also.

Also I admit I live in Willowcreek, where does that leave me? Low, High, Middle income? So where should my kids go? Theodore Judah for example is in an older area, and it is not as populated with k-6 graders, so children are brought in from other neighborhoods with overcrowding problems, at this point, Folsom seems to be trying to fix the boundary problems we already have.