The California school districts are undergoing some big adjustments. Have you heard the latest news?
‘Sagebrush’, a community in the western portion of the La Cañada Flintridge area has just been transferred into the La Cañada School District from Glendale. As a result of this decision, many properties will be integrated into the La Cañada school system.
In early October the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization voted to approve the transfer. However, the switch won’t officially take place for a few years – meaning it’s far from over.
Let’s take a deeper look at what’s happening and its impact on the La Cañada School District.
From Glendale to La Cañada
This long standing debate is nothing new – there’s been an issue brewing around the topic for years.
The problem involves nearly 800 homes that fall within the La Cañada Flintridge territory. While it falls within the La Cañada region, this 380-acre area commonly referred to as ‘Sagebrush’ was technically under the Glendale Unified School District.
It was the norm for students living in Sagebrush to enroll in Glendale schools such as Rosemont Middle School, Mountain Avenue Elementary, or Crescenta Valley High.These schools are located in the La Crescenta region.
However, not everyone agreed with this ordinance.
Because of this, a collection of nearly 800 families haven’t been able to send their students to La Cañada schools without putting up a fight. There have been 4 recorded instances where Sagebrush has tried to make the switch from Glendale to La Cañada thus far – and the recent district approval marks a big step.
Accepted with Open Arms
While some people were concerned about the added responsibility falling on the La Cañada Unified School District, officials from the committee have publicly announced they are ‘ready, willing, and able to accommodate the new ‘Sagebrush’ territories.
School board members had no issue in deciding that they would accept these new students. In their October vote, La Cañada Unified School District members voted a unanimous ‘yes’ in transferring La Cañada Flintridge’s ‘Sagebrush’ students whose homes technically are n the Glendale Unified School District
But, this doesn’t mean that all ‘Sagebrush’ students need to switch schools. The Superintendent of the La Cañada Unified School District said that all applications from students who wish to remain in Glendale schools will be approved and accepted.
At the heart of the La Cañada/Glendale debate is community ties.
For the past 6 decades, ‘Sagebrush’ families and students have been petitioning for acceptance from their surrounding areas. The school district issue represented a larger problem that stems from separation within communities.
After years of fighting, the ‘Sagebrush’ students are closer to being openly accepted into the La Cañada Unified School District. Keep up with the latest California news on my blog.