The two districts had their first joint meeting Thursday night to discuss Lammersville’s plans to completely break away from Tracy Unified. Lammersville, the only school district in Mountain House, plans to unify and open its first high school by 2013.
However, to move forward with that, Tracy Unified Superintendent Jim Franco said that it needs his district’s approval.
“We’re continuing to take action that’s in the best interest of Tracy Unified,” Franco said. “Things are working, in our opinion, educationally, just fine.”
Addison Covert, the attorney hired by Tracy Unified, said that Lammersville and its 1,773 students could still break away without the Tracy board’s permission, but going through an arbitrator might get messy. Shane Nielson, Lammersville school board’s president, said that his district didn’t want to go down that road and stir up bad blood with Tracy Unified.
For Tracy Unified, the proposed split would mean lower enrollment and less money from the state, as those high school students would stay in Lammersville . Tracy Unified receives $6,131.80 per kindergarten-through-12th-grade student. For Lammersville, it also would mean fostering a sense of community and independence in Mountain House.
Throughout the meeting, Lammersville officials remained optimistic that they would be able to carry out their plans.
“There’s a lot of talk among residents that this is going to happen, one way or another,” Lammersville board member James Hiramoto said. “It’s an integral part of our community.”
Some Tracy Unified board members wondered whether Lammersville could afford to build the high school. Lammersville Superintendent Dale Hansen estimated in March that the school would cost between $70 million and $80 million. Lammersville has $13 million saved in developer fees that could be used for a high school.
Citing the widespread news of foreclosures in Mountain House, Tracy Unified board member Bill Swenson questioned whether or not Lammersville could afford to maintain a high school.
“If the economy stays soft, you’ve only got $13 million to work with, how are you going to fund (this)?” Swenson said. “The rumors around Tracy are (foreclosures) are high in Mountain House. If in fact that’s true, you folks don’t have enough money to get close to finishing phase one.”
Garrett Gibbs, who represented Shea Homes, one of the biggest developers in Mountain House, said that the high school would be paid for primarily with developers’ fees. He said the fees would account for between $55 million and $65 million of the cost, and money from the state should take care of the rest. If there is a shortfall, Shea would cover it, Gibbs said.
Gibbs and Hansen said that more people, especially families with young children, are starting to buy homes because the prices have finally dropped low enough. According to the presentation, the enrollment at elementary-only Lammersville has grown from 771 in 2004-05 to 1,773 today, an average increase of 12 percent each year. Gibbs said that if the fees don’t come, the timeline for the high school will have to be pushed back.
“The promise of (a high school) is what’s driving a lot of people buying,” Hiramoto said.
Consultant Jim Bush, hired by Tracy Unified, showed a detailed PowerPoint presentation outlining the requirements Lammersville must meet to get its own high school.
Of those, both sides agreed that the two biggest obstacles were how the school would be paid for and how district boundaries might be adjusted. John C. Kimball High on Lammers Road, which will open in August, is close to Lammersville’s boundary.
Right now, about 300 students who live within the Lammersville district bounds attend Tracy or West High schools.
Building a high school in Mountain House under the auspices of a unified Lammersville district would give teens there things to do, Hansen said, such as participate in school activities and go to sporting events.
Hansen said that he trusts in himself and his board members to make the right decisions for themselves and their students. He said that he’s making sure Lammersville is going through all of the proper procedures.
“There’s no way that I’m going to jeopardize the students,” Hansen said. “We want to give them a quality program, equal to or better than what they’re receiving now. I have a very good check-and-balance system within the district.”
While no action was taken at the meeting, which lasted nearly three hours, both sides said the evening went well. The two districts will meet again, but no date or time has been set.
-Contact Tracy Press reporter Justin Lafferty at 830-4269 or jlafferty@tracypress.com.
To comment on an earlier dollar figure thrown around, yes the ADA money per student in TUSD is around $6,100 per student but there are not 1,700 hight school students from Lammersville District boundaries attending high school in TUSD. There are about $300. Per TUSD's financial figures thrown around at the joint meeting, it takes more than just the ADA money per student to educate the high school students (vs. elementary and junior high) -- TUSD estimates that cost closer to $9,000. In short, based on their numbers, they appear to be running at a defecit to educate our kids (mind you, we have a parcel tax here in Mountain House to the tune of $30 per 100,000 in value to TUSD). TUSD does not educate our kids for free. Added onto that the bussing costs and logistical nightmare of bussing projected 2,500 students (at build out) into Tracy schools and I would think Dr. Franco would be eager to unload this burden if the Board believed the educational opportunities for Lammersville high school kids would be of the same quality as they receive in TUSD.
Secondly, Lammersville/Mountain House has had multiple studies completed to determine the fiscal feasability of becoming a unified school district. The finances are there. The demographics are there. The intent to unify has been documented, contractually, since the early 90's. Where any shortfall would exist between the cost to build the high school and developer fees (fees already collected at the close of escrow of each parcel) state matching funds, Shea has agreed to fund that shortfall.
As far as a "sweetheart" deal is concerned, Lammersville Elementary School District and the Mountain House Community Services District has no authority to make any "sweetheart deal." Mountain House is a master planned community by a developer, Tri-Mark. Tri-Mark is a corporation that owns the land in Mountain House. Any "sweetheart deal" would come from Tri-Mark and they have nothing to do with LESD.
I have closely followed this bid for unification for the last 2 years or so. I can assure you that parents here in Mountain House do not want to unify unless it is in the best interest of the kids #1, and the community #2. Specifically, we did not want to unify if it would negatively impact the financial fitness of the existing LESD.
I can tell you that the main reason we want and should have our own high school is because we are our own, distinct community. A high school would solidify our community identity. We NEED our own high school. Our teenagers have no public transportaion, no in community recreation and with most homes having two working parents, no easy way to participate in after school activities.
Lastly, I have absolutely no idea where the animosity between Tracy and Mountain House sprang up from but it seems extremely petty, childish and stupid. The adults I know don't engage in that sort of banter. It is really a bad example for the children to carry it on.
I think the article behooves MH to ask the question do those districts have enough rainy day funds to build now, or do what's best for the schools - not just MH administrators and real estate?
It would be worse, if it ended up another trailer park. Such as SJDC, in MH.
Hope they present a more solid plan next time.
TUSD has already had to slash student programs to cover administration costs. This is the problem. If you want your kid to have music, speach, sports, chess, etc. you need an alternative to TUSD.
TUSD is NOT competative. They spent their money on expensive admin frills and now they are desparate for bigger enrollment numbers to cover costs. My position? Too bad TUSD. You made your bed and now have to lie in it.
I'm also concerned because of the fiasco with another Mountain House fiasco / developer deal (San Joaquin Delta College) and the millions of dollars?
I recall the fiasco was thrown around at the congressional debate at Monte Vista like a hot potato.
Hate to see sweetheart deal repeat history.
Just glad there is oversight by TUSD out there in that county.
Don't know Mt House's business so can't answer you Skip.
You said: "Let's face it. Mt House is trying to break away from the shadow of Tracy to become their own entity. There should be no problem with them wanting to do that."
No problem with your logic? But can you let us know if Mountain House running with a deficit, or not?
What contractual obligations did MH cut with TUSD last year? If they only have ten percent of the money and additional budget deficit (as we've been reading about in recent news), why not come back with a more promising plan. I.e, wait until the economy improves. Or just unify instead. Certainly not looking like a Win-Win from either side?
You're welcome! I apologize for omitting the number "1" in the other comment.
That is a lot of money. If Lammersville succeeds in organizing their very own school district TUSD, you can probably trust the district to lay off more employees and cut more activities around or after 2013.
Thanks. That makes sense to me. No wonder the Tracy administration and board are cool to the idea!
TUSD stands to lose 1,773 students. The school district is paid $6,131.80 per student enrollment.
There you have it...$10,871,681.40
I understand your position when you say it may be better to join forces with TUSD, but if they choose not to they would still be entitled to any state/federal help TUSD or any other school district is entitled to. Your comparing Mt House's decision to become their own self, as you said Texas wanted to do, has little bearing on Mt House wanting their own school district. There's a big difference between a "state" and a teeny "municipality".
Mountain House makes me think of Texas, wanting to be its own entity, yet they wanted all the "UNITED STATES" Federal help they could get????
Might benefit the children more to have higher quality education by joining force? If not, the quality education sure would get diluted due to lack of funds?
Kids first? They sure get short end of the deal and we wonder why we couldn't find highly trained people??? Go Global is the rest of the worlds, thinking, is Mountain House, also thinking of preparing their students to think on global scale, if not, we will be left behind since Europe are so embarrassingly far ahead of us!
Franco is only concerned about losing $10,871, 681.40 That loss would add to the deficit TUSD already has. Trust me, he's not concerned with anything else.
And why would another school district need TUSD's approval? That's a pretty ballsy statement for Franco to be uttering.