AREA SCHOOLS SQUEEZED; DISTRICTS WILL BE BRIMMING OVER WITH PUPILS AT TERM'S START.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

When Santa Clarita's four high schools open their doors on Monday, they will be nearly 4,000 students over capacity - enough students to fill two additional campuses.

And the William S. Hart Union High School District, one of the fastest growing in the state, is just one of five severely overcrowded school systems in the Santa Clarita Valley.

All are caught between rapid growth and limited money for school construction.

``We know we need more schools,'' Hart Assistant Superintendent Mike von Buelow said. ``Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it.''

Hart's four traditional high schools - Hart High, Valencia, Canyon and Saugus - are more than 50 percent over capacity and are continuing to grow at alarming rates.

``In the next three years, we could have 4,000 students at Valencia,'' said von Buelow. ``We have to have another school built and get kids off of that campus.''

The excess could fill two new schools, drawing students who now attend classes in 204 portable classrooms on the four campuses.

For now, school officials are left trying their best to accommodate the nearly 16,000 students.

Beside struggling to find ways to house the students, the district is faced with finding teachers to stay ahead of the growth. On Monday, the district will have 13 substitute teachers who will be retained on a long-term basis.

Officials have hired 90 new teachers for the fall semester, but with attrition and growth, more are needed.

Each year, district officials bring in dozens of portable classrooms and are constantly looking for ways to ease the crowding.

From staggering lunches, looking at multitrack year-round scheduling and creating alternative programs, the district is desperate for a permanent solution.

Plans are made to build five new high schools and junior highs in the next five years, but there's no guarantee of funding. The state will pay 50 percent of the construction costs - to match locally raised money. In November, local voters will consider a $52 million local construction bond.

Von Buelow said planning doesn't help because the state won't help districts that anticipate growth and want to build schools ahead of need.

``You can't qualify until we have the students,'' said von Buelow. ``It's designed for you to be behind.''

In the end, the students get the short end on education as well as extracurricular opportunities.

``Students have less of a chance to make the football team, band or a drama production,'' said von Buelow. ``Their opportunities are just (fewer).''

And they are forced to share lab space, computers and library books.

``There are times when they just get very frustrated,'' he said. ``We try and accommodate them the best we can.''

The overcrowded situation also decreases the basic necessities, including restrooms, water fountains and cafeteria seating.

The overcrowding at schools in the Santa Clarita Valley can be measured across the board from kindergarten to alternative education.

One of the most crowded schools in the city is Stevenson Ranch Elementary School, where an interim campus has been established to help ease the overcrowding at the Newhall School District's newest site.

``We've had quite a growth,'' said Stevenson Ranch School Principal Diane von Buelow. ``I know we win the prize.''

On a year-round program with three tracks that started in July, and one that returns Monday, the school has 1,410 students. About 190 students attend its temporary facility.

``We began with 29 classrooms, including nine portables,'' Diane von Buelow said. ``Now we have 54 classrooms.

One of the largest growth areas at Stevenson Ranch is the kindergarten with 215 pupils.

``Our district has never seen any kindergarten class this big,'' she said. ``We do have a lot of younger families.''

Stevenson Ranch School opened in 1995 and has been seeing steady growth since then.

``It's just booming,'' she said. ``We have construction all around us.''

The Saugus Union School District is also seeing growth, some of which was eased when a new campus opened this week.

That North Park School still opened with 200 more students than projected.

Hoping to stay with the growth, the district has plans of opening another school next year.

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Photo

Photo: The north campus of Stevenson Ranch Elementary School includes these temporary buildings.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer