HARMAN INTRODUCES OPEN ENROLLMENT MEASURE FOR LA PALMA SCHOOLS

SACRAMENTO -- Senator Tom Harman (R - Huntington Beach) announced today that he has introduced a bill to provide for open enrollment in the City of La Palma's school districts.

Senate Bill 1445 would allow parents residing in La Palma to bypass erratic, outdated school-district boundaries and enroll their children in the La Palma school district of their choice.

La Palma is a small city in Orange County, measuring two square miles with approximately 15,000 residents. Yet the city is split by confusing school district boundaries.

"Currently, parents with children who live north of Houston Street must send their children to a high school five miles down the Artesia Freeway, while parents living south of Houston can send their children to a school within walking distance," Senator Harman said. "Consequently, the number of inter-district transfers requested by La Palma residents is far out of proportion compared to other cities in Orange County."

The antiquated school district maps were drawn almost a century ago, based on the large dairies that were in the area long before the City of La Palma was incorporated in 1955. If enacted, SB 1445 would relieve parents of having to send their children to distant schools, and allow children to attend the same schools as their friends who may live across the street.

"This bill is a fair solution to a frustrating problem faced by parents in La Palma," Harman added. "These kids deserve the chance to go to their neighborhood school, and SB 1445 will allow them to do that."

A map of the City of La Palma's school districts can be seen here: http://www.cityoflapalma.org/links/school.htm