April 2008Demand for Public Schools IncreasesBy Steven J. MossBecause of the increased demand – as well as the concentration of requests for roughly a dozen schools – fewer applicants were awarded a slot in the school of their choice this year. Almost one-fifth of parents didn’t get their child into any of the campuses they identified in their application, with those looking for a particular elementary school most likely to be disappointed. Clarendon and Rooftop remained among the most desired elementary schools, with almost half of all applicants including them on their list of up to seven choices. Alvarado and Buena Vista Spanish immersion programs also remaining top picks for parents looking for a language emphasis, while requests for Starr King’s Mandarin immersion program almost doubled, though slots set aside for Mandarin-speaking families are still available. Requests for Grattan and Miraloma, schools which not so long ago served as many parents “safety” selections, jumped by more than 40 percent. And demand for International Studies Academy (ISA), a high school located in Potrero Hill, rose by 20 percent. In other school news, the San Francisco Unified School District unexpectedly announced that it will be moving 238-student Excelsior Middle School to the same campus now occupied by 421-student ISA. Some parents are questioning both the lack of public process about the move, as well as the wisdom of combining junior and high school students at the 18th Street site.
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This Month's StoriesResidential Areas Exempt from Parking Meter Plan, According to MTA Official City Hopes America’s Cup Runneth Over Starr King Elementary Leads SF Schools in Improved Test Scores Southside a Center for Metal Harvesting History Lives on Wisconsin Street San Francisco Breweries Chug Water Dogpatch Hosts Design Residency Project Monte Cristo Club Serves-Up Salty Fish UCSF - Mission Bay’s Scientist Dave Morgan Studies Segregation Foreclosure Crises Lingers in Bayview Black Population Continues to Dwindle Bayview Foreclosure Fighters Take a Stand Radio Africa & Kitchen Puts Down Roots in Bayview Downtown High School Teaches Environmental Lessons San Francisco Firefighters Distribute Toys, Just Not Through Chimneys Hill Resident Publishes Book About Apple’s Post-Jobs Future Henry Joseph Judnick 1927 ~ 2011 On-going FeaturesCrime & Safety Report: Potrero Hill Resident Works Cases at District Attorney’s Office
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