District Might Add 2 ‘Fundamental’ Schools

The school board, burdened with long waiting lists for its few so-called fundamental schools, may decide at tonight’s meeting to designate two more sites as back-to-basics facilities.

Board approval would turn the Jim Thorpe Elementary and the Raymond A. Villa Intermediate schools into fundamental operations, which emphasize parent involvement, dress codes and patriotism.

The addition of the two would bring the total number of such schools in the district to seven, though officials say that other Santa Ana Unified School District campuses have similar policies.

Still, there are long waiting lists for fundamental schools and parent surveys have indicated strong support for adding more.

The district currently has three fundamental schools--two elementary and one intermediate.

Unfinished elementary and intermediate schools also have been designated as fundamental.

Last month, the lone dissenter in a 4-1 board vote designating the unfinished Wallace R. Davis Elementary School as fundamental questioned the board’s piecemeal approach.

Trustee Robert W. Balen said he does not oppose fundamental schools, but believes the district should first devise an overall plan on how many to have and where they should be.

Balen said he expected to oppose the designation tonight on the same grounds.

“I’ll have to wait and see if we have a more rational game plan,” he said.