Wounds still raw over gym plans

Angelique Flores

The creation of community advisory committees to help channel a

controversial middle school gym project hasn’t healed all the wounds in

the Ocean View School District, as some residents continue to claim the

planning for the gyms was unfair.

“Things had an opportunity to get better, but I think now they’re

worse,” said Marine View resident Todd Emmons.In September, the board

approved the construction of a gymnasium/auditorium at each of the four

middle schools: Marine View, Mesa View, Spring View and Vista View Middle

Schools. Since then, residents have been in an uproar about the proposed

size, location and rental of the facilities.

Marine View Middle School neighbors have put up signs protesting the

district’s project, and Neighborhoods for Education First has emerged out

of the embers of the conflict to become a voice of dissent.

“We want to make sure that any school, starting with Spring View,

promotes education through sound management and financial decisions,”

said Stefan Rubendall, one of the group’s core members.

Neighborhoods for Education First is responsible for the new Web site,

o7 https://www.oceanviewinfo.comf7 , which is “dedicated to providing

the public with data about the Ocean View School System.”

The group is still taking shape and slowly evolving in its membership

and focus, and Rubendall said he hopes the group will continue to grow.

Meanwhile, members continue to look into raising funds and hiring an

attorney to fight the district if they decide it’s necessary.

“It’s heading down the same path as Wal-Mart,” Emmons said.

Many residents say they have been lied to or misinformed throughout

the planning.

Emmons, a Marine View Community Advisory Committee representative,

said he doesn’t feel the various recommendations adequately represent

neighbors’ sentiments.

“I feel we let the neighborhood down. I feel terrible,” he added. “Why

are we rushing this?”

Emmons said there was not enough time to gather public opinion to make

a good recommendation.

“The process has been flawed from the beginning -- from the selection

process to way people were appointed,” Rubendall said. “The committees

weren’t shepherded through the process. It was always a moving target as

to what they were supposed to do.”

However, Spring View Community Advisory Committee representative Karen

Martin disagrees.

“I felt a little lost at times, but it was just a matter of getting

together with the rest of the committee,” Martin said.

Martin said the committee had “plenty of time” and was grateful that

her community was vocal because the residents gave her a good sense of

what they wanted.

Marine View Principal Liz Williams didn’t feel rushed either, and in

fact, thought the process was “fairly lengthy.”

“For these kinds of things, you never have enough time,” said John

Scandura, Marine View Community Advisory Committee representative. “But I

felt comfortable.”

Emmons did not. He said that the committee gathered as little

neighborhood input as possible.

Marine View and Spring View residents also have complained they were

not properly notified of meetings.

“We needed to listen to them and mimic what they’re saying. We’re

supposed to represent what they want. This committee is trying to come up

with their own recommendation,” Emmons said.

He said school officials did not properly notify the public about the

committee meetings. Flyers for the March 6 community advisory committee

meeting at Marine View announced that the group would meet at 5 p.m.

While there is disagreement as to whether or not the group had previously

scheduled to meet at 5 or 7 p.m., the committee ended up meeting at 7

p.m. Residents were notified of the time change a day before, and that

was only because Emmons and few other neighbors passed out flyers

door-to-door.

Williams said all the meetings were posted on the marquee, and letters

were sent out to homeowners living within 1,000 feet of the school. But

some residents said they did not receive the notices in the mail.

“There are always a few that are disgruntled, but most of the people

have their hearts are in the right place,” said Supt. Jim Tarwater.

“Hopefully over time, they will stay involved and will be able to develop

some communication and [will] trust that the district is concerned about

the community as well as the kids.”