KHSD targets BHS families — again
The new Del Oro High School is much-needed in our rapidly growing city. But in the requisite student shuffle, the Kern High School District is once again targeting a familiar handful of Bakersfield High School neighborhoods for transfer: Stockdale Estates, Olde Stockdale, Park Stockdale, Amberton, Laurelglen and Quailwood. Families from these neighborhoods are banding together to fight it.
Leaked boundary proposals revealed KHSD’s intention to separate our neighborhoods from BHS, redirecting most of our children to West High. Our families have written to the school board and called the planning committee in charge of creating proposals, only to be dismissed — told that our voices will be heard when the plans go to the full board for consideration sometime this summer.
By that time, it will be too late. The first in a long list of concerns is about the process by which proposals are being developed. This charge belongs to the Planning Committee, under the direction of Roger Sanchez, an employee of KHSD. The rest of the committee is made up of volunteers from the community. These members are responsible for researching and developing options for school boundaries, and culling an alleged “25-30” plans (according to Mr. Sanchez) down to two to three public proposals. Who are these committee members developing our options? How were they chosen? And who do they represent? Are there records of these meetings? There seems to be a lack of transparency, which makes us suspicious of the district’s motives.
BHS embodies the gold standard for public schools. It is Bakersfield’s oldest high school, bridging east and west; the only school in the city that truly represents Bakersfield’s breadth of socio-economic diversity. Haven’t we just spent the last few years learning the importance of diversity? BHS embraces students from every imaginable background, and it does so with a long history of excellence: Our programs are among the best in the city, drawing high academic achievers; we have the widest variety of clubs and extracurricular activities of any KHSD high school, as well as the largest fine arts program; and our sports program is highly competitive. BHS has it all. And it has achieved all this as a Title 1 school, an indication of our overwhelmingly low-income student body. Our school achieves greatness again and again through sheer force of will; through the commitment and loving determination of our teachers, faculty, students, and their families. Our families.
The neighborhoods we represent are inextricably and intentionally linked with this success. Most of us are BHS alumni. Many of our parents went to BHS. We grew up here, went off to college, and built careers with a BHS education as the foundation for our own successes. We returned to these neighborhoods when it was time to raise our families, because we want that foundation for our children.
Those of us who grew up elsewhere chose BHS for its extraordinary community, defined by the rich diversity that’s proving to be exactly what today’s students need, and a track record of preparing students for whatever path they choose. Because isn’t that the point? Our schools are supposed to inspire our children to become their best selves and give them the tools they need to share their gifts with the world. This is where BHS excels.
Any educator will tell you the No. 1 determinant of a student’s success is an engaged, supportive community. We are those engaged families, working handin-hand with families from other neighborhoods that make up our school, and BHS is the heart of our community.
The Driller Way is more than a slogan. It’s an ethos embedded in the heart of every BHS student to Behave with Honor and Service to others. Perhaps KHSD could learn some of this from our high schoolers.
Once a Driller, always a Driller.