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Boundary Study FAQ's


Why is the OJUSD conducting a Boundary Study?

The student enrollment at our four elementary schools has become significantly unbalanced. Fair Oaks is at maximum capacity while Magnolia and Cloverland are at approximately 75% of capacity. In order to restore a better balance of student population and prepare for future growth we need to shift student s from Fair Oaks to our two elementary schools that have the greatest room for growth, which are Magnolia and Clover land. The boundary at Sierra View would remain unchanged to accommodate growth and maintain boundaries that basically divide our community into quadrants with each elementary school serving a quadrant. It is worth mentioning that we only have one Junior High and one comprehensive High School so the boundaries do not affect grades 7-12.

What is the enrollment of the four Elementary Schools?

Enrollment Numbers: Fair Oaks 888, Sierra View 694, Magnolia 624 and Cloverland 518.

If new elementary school boundaries are enacted which students will be affected?

The new boundaries will be in place for all Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten and new enrollees for the 2016-17 school year. All students currently attending their home school will be allowed to stay at their current school until they finish the sixth grade.

With the housing growth toward Crane Road why doesn’t the OJUSD build a School in Bridle Ridge?

The OJUSD owns approximately 7 acres in the Bridle Ridge area that has been identified as a potential school site. However, at this time two major factors would preclude the District from building a school. The first factor is financial. The most recent elementary school built in our area was on Mesa Road in Riverbank at an approximate cost of twenty million dollars. Currently, the State of California is not providing any money to school districts for construction. Thus the only way the OJUSD could afford to build a school would be to pass a school construction bond. This leads us to the second factor of why the District would not build a school at this time, which is the fact that we have room for significant growth at two of our four elementary schools. It is very difficult to warrant building a new school when we have space in our existing schools.

Will my child receive bus transportation?

The short answer to that question is yes. Currently, elementary students who live more than 1.5 miles from their school receive transportation, and we have also provided shuttle service from the Bridle Ridge area to alleviate traffic and keep our students from having to cross the highway. We will continue to utilize our 1.5 mile “rule” but will also remain open to creating shuttles/new routes whenever necessary for safety reasons.

Will students who are currently approved to attend Cloverland, Fair Oaks, Magnolia or Sierra View on “Interdistrict” or “Intradistrict” Transfers be allowed to continue at those sites?

Students who are currently attending Cloverland, Fair Oaks, Magnolia or Sierra View on an Interdistrict or Intradistrict transfer will need to reapply. If space is not available for them to continue at their current site, they may be offered space at another elementary site in the District. This practice has been in effect for several years and remains unchanged regardless of the Boundary Study.

What were the major considerations when the boundary options were studied?

Four major points were under consideration when developing the Boundary options. The first was the need to create a better balance of student enrollment among the four elementary sites. The second was to create boundaries that divided the community into four basic quadrants for the four school sites and did not create islands of attendance inside a designated boundary. The third was to create a better balance of English Learner students at all sites. The fourth was to create a better balance of students with low socio-economic backgrounds at all sites.

I have a new K or TK student who will be registering for the next school year. Do I register them at their current home school or their new home school?

You will register your incoming K or TK student at their new home school.

I have a current K-6 student that I understand will be to able remain at their home school, but I have an incoming Kindergarten student to register that is affected by the Boundary Change. Will my Kindergarten student have to attend their new home school?

Yes, however you will have the option to move your existing student(s) to the new home school if you desire that your students attend the same school.

How much time will parents be allowed before having to notify their current school whether their older sibling(s) will remain at their current school site or move to the new school site with an incoming K or TK sibling?

To ensure proper staffing you would need to notify your home school of your request by March 24, 2016.