Enrollment top issue for San Carlos schools

Growing enrollment in San Carlos schools coupled with the challenges of providing a 21st century education with limited financial resources were the issues acknowledged by three candidates hoping to serve on the school board.

Trustee Seth Rosenblatt, technology executive Adam Rak and civil engineer Peter Tzifas — who are competing for two three-year positions on the San Carlos Elementary School District Board of Trustees — participated in two forums this week. During the Friday morning session, hosted by the San Carlos Education Foundation, candidates fielded prepared questions in addition to some written by the audience.

San Carlos has experienced a growth in attendance in recent years. The district, which is largely comprised of charter schools, previously admitted many out-of-district students as well.

Space has been an issue for some time. Over the summer, school and city officials began discussing possible solutions — like building a new school — as a way to handle it. Rak wanted the new school to serve kindergarten through fifth-grade students. Having fifth-grade students return to elementary schools, he said, would also alleviate overcrowding for middle schools. Rosenblatt was less concerned with the configuration and emphasized the need to work through other constraints like land and cost. He felt there were lots of possible configurations that would work. Tzifas wanted the effort to be joined more with the city. Through long-term master planning, Tzifas thought community needs would ultimately be better met.

A new school would mean changing boundaries. All three candidates recognized that would be a reality but it shined light on another issue for Tzifas — communication.

Tzifas wanted the board to work harder at reaching people who aren’t parents. Boundaries, for example, were changed previously. Most parents with children in the district were aware of the discussion. Tzifas, on the other hand, was not. His daughter was not yet in school. One way to reach the general public would be by partnering with the city with its email blasts, he said.

Rosenblatt thought he, as a single trustee, had done a bit more to reach out through events and his blog.

Working together, all agreed, was needed to maintain funding and fight action from the state that negatively affect schools.

When it came to technology in the schools, Rak wanted to see it better integrated at all levels while Tzifas was concerned it had not been proven as an effective tool for young children. Rosenblatt and Rak both thought technology could be integrated in other lessons like English or math, allowing teachers a way to differentiate lessons to meet the needs of individual students.

All three candidates felt strongly about retaining good teachers. They also agreed San Carlos probably has a good working environment, which helps with retention. Without additional funding, they agreed it’s difficult to do more. Tzifas noted the parent volunteers in the classroom help. Rosenblatt discussed offering small incentives for individuals who take on additional tasks. Rak agreed, giving the example of having teachers lead training.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by email: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.