La Habra City School District announces new focuses for schools

The La Habra City School District is re-configuring its campuses for the 2018-19 school year, creating a special focus for each, and hundreds of parents have already put in requests to transfer their children to the school that interests them.

The district held two rallies recently to introduce families to the changes happening in the fall when each of the district’s elementary schools will have classes for transitional kindergarten through the sixth grade – Las Positas Elementary will end at fifth grade. Previously campuses were either K-2 or 3-5.

That system made teachers feel disconnected from students who were on campus for just a few years, Rosamaria Murillo, principal at Arbolita Elementary School, said.

“I think (the changes) will deepen our relationships,” Murillo said. “Being able to provide K-6 for kids allows us to get to know them better, provide resources and extend those resources for what they need. We get a chance to know families and grow families together.”

At the rallies, the district’s nine schools had a table with demonstrations and activities explaining their new focus. The schools will still be teaching a standard curriculum along with offering classes relating to their individual focus, such as coding or visual and performing arts.

Parents were able to meet principals and staff members from each school and ask questions about the new magnets and specialized programs as well as transportation, food services, the transfer process, registration and more.

About 800 attended the two rallies, Superintendent Joanne Culverhouse said. The district has a population of about 5,000 students.

“We had great feedback,” Culverhouse said. “It was just a sense of a rally and excitement for the way we’re re-configuring. As always, we’re making sure our students are reaching their full potential.”

Culverhouse said decisions on school focuses were based on teacher surveys and school capacity. Teachers and classified employees have supported the changes, she said, and some will move based on a school’s new focus.

“There’s a lot of excitement, but there are still some unknowns about where people are going to land,” said Murillo, who will be transferring to Ladera Palma Elementary. “We like the idea, we think it will revitalize the district.”

Parents interested in having their child transfer to a campus other than their home school need to complete an application for each student by Feb. 9.

Culverhouse said some parents camped out overnight when the transfer window opened Jan. 21. She said about 75 parents were in line by the time she arrived at the district office at 5:30 a.m.

“(The parents) have been very complimentary,” Culverhouse said. “So far, we’ve had over 500 intradistrict transfers.”

***The new school year

Here are the individual focuses for each school and the grade levels served:

• • Arbolita Elementary, TK-6 – Visual and Performing Arts Academy
• • El Cerrito Elementary, TK-6 – Code to the Future (Computer Science)
• • Ladera Palma Elementary, TK-6 – Spanish Dual Immersion
• • Las Lomas Elementary, TK-6 – Entrepreneur Exploration (Music and Art)
• • Sierra Vista Elementary, TK-6 – No Excuses University College Career Pathways and Music
• • Walnut Elementary, TK-6 – STEAM Academy, AVID Demonstration Site
• • Las Positas Elementary, TK-5 – International Baccalaureate (Application for Candidacy 2018)
• • Imperial Middle School, 6-8 – Academy of the Arts, International Baccalaureate (Application for Candidacy 2018)
• • Washington Middle School, 7-8 – Project Lead The Way (STEM, Music, Dual Immersion 2021)

For more information, visit lahabraschools.org.