Local students are a class act

WELCOME BACK—The first day of school is cause for celebration for Oak Park High School seniors Tess Rybowiak and Emma Levine, above. Willow Elementary students Justin and Hayley Wank enjoy a light moment with their mom Tami, far right, and teachers Mark Cantor and Judy Underwood. Las Virgenes Unified School District opened fall classes yesterday with approximately the same number of students attending the three high schools, three middle schools and eight elementary schools as last year, officials said.

Approximately 12,000 students are enrolled in the Las Virgenes district, which stretches from Hidden Hills to Westlake Village.

Donald Zimring, LVUSD deputy superintendent, said that while the total number of students in the 14 schools is about the same as last year, there’s been a slight decline in enrollment at the elementary schools. Middle and high school enrollment continues to grow, however.

Sprucing up

Willow, Yerba Buena and White Oak elementary schools received a facelift over the summer. Three new classrooms have replaced what Zimring called the “worn out” rooms at Willow Elementary School in Agoura Hills. A new roof crowns White Oak Elementary in Westlake Village, while Willow, White Oak and Yerba Buena elementary schools all feature new floors.

A new lunch shelter was a welcome amenity for students at Lindero Canyon Middle School in Agoura Hills. The campus was also spruced up with new landscaping and other beautification projects. A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas features newly paved walkways and new asphalt in the parking lots.

Four new classrooms were added to Calabasas High, and both Calabasas High and Agoura High were fitted with new security cameras. Visitor bleachers at Agoura High were upgraded as well.

Many of the schools were also freshly painted.

New school coming

The biggest news for Las Virgenes is that work on the new Yerba Buena Elementary School on the border between Agoura Hills and Westlake Village is finally underway after years of delay. Zimring said grading is nearly complete and construction should begin soon.

As for administrative changes, the students will benefit from a newly created dean of students position at each of the three middle schools.

New elementary school counselor are expected to be added by the end of the week, Zimring said.

The counselors will be charged with monitoring students with developmental problems, while helping all students develop effective problem solving techniques and communication skills.

Dr. Sandra Smyser, LVUSD’s new superintendent who begins her first year on the job, stressed the importance of education in today’s world.

Smyser reminded teachers and staff that somewhere in the world a teacher is teaching a future president, or a person who will cure cancer. She said the challenge for educators is daunting. By Daniel Wolowicz danielw@theacorn.com

Despite facing declining enrollment numbers in recent years, Oak Park Unified School District officials successfully attracted enough inter-district transfer students this year to keep the small district from making further personnel cuts.

Cliff Moore, assistant superintendent, said Oak Park schools began yesterday with nearly 450 students from other districts—140 more inter-district transfers than last year.

“We feel like our campaign to attract inter-district students has been successful,” Moore said. “We attracted about 25 incoming ninth graders to the district. . . That’s equal to another teacher.”

The extra students will account for nearly $2.3 million in budget revenue, officials said. The revenue for students represents about 12 percent of the total budget.

Superintendent Tony Knight said the Oak Park district also has 200 kindergarten students enrolled, almost 25 of whom are inter-district transfers. The higher kindergarten numbers have made it possible for the district to maintain its elementary music programs, as well as a number of other district programs, Knight said.

The eight schools throughout the district welcomed back 3,770 students in all.

But even though the district attracted more inter-district students, the school board was forced to make several staff cuts this year—including a teaching position–—in order to pass a 2005-06 balanced budget.

As the new year began, five administrative positions changed hands.

At the high school, Principal Lynn McCormack will be working with two new assistant principals this year. Jerry Block, the former foreign language department chair at Calabasas High School, and Larry Boone, a former teacher at the Accelerated Charter School in South Central Los Angeles, are the high school’s new assistant principals.

“(Larry and Jerry) are fantastic,” McCormack said “They’ve both hit the ground running and they’ve been working all summer to make this a smooth beginning.”

Lou Tabone, who worked as a principal with the Los Angeles County Office of Education, will take over as the district’s Director of Alternative Education. He replaces longtime high school principal Millie Andress. Tabone will oversee Oak View High School, the district’s continuation high school, and Oak Park Independent School, the program that helps monitor home schooled students.

Two of the three district’s elementary schools now have new principals. Having been a “shared” assistant principal at three elementary schools in the Las Virgenes Unified School District, Debbie Burgher was tapped as the new principal of Brookside Elementary School.

Jon Duim, who comes to Oak Park from the Moorpark Unified School District, is the new principal at Red Oak Elementary School.

Barbara Semel-Parkhurst was named Oak Park’s new special education program specialist.