It is no secret that homes in Saratoga can cost significantly more than those in neighboring cities. According to Zillow, the median value of a house here costs $2.4 million, compared to $1.8 million in Cupertino and $845,000 in San Jose or $1.1 million in Campbell.
There are many factors contributing to these disparities, one of which is the perceived quality of schools.
Some people have suggested a system that allows students to attend whatever school they want regardless of where they live. This would be a mistake.
While the lack of school choice may seem like a detrimental consequence of district boundaries, such a system has many benefits that students are not aware of.
First of all, clear-cut boundaries prevent confusion when enrolling for an upcoming school year. This way, parents know exactly which school to register for, and can be assured that their student will be able to attend the schools in that district for years to come.
Consistency like this is one of the key benefits of district boundaries, Jane Marashian, the superintendent’s assistant, told me when I asked her for the reasons behind them.
By keeping boundaries similar from year to year, administrators know roughly how many students to expect and ensures that not much change will be necessary. While limiting the number of student registrations may seem like an alternative solution to this issue, such a system would mean students might not be able to attend the schools closest to them once they reach capacity.
Additionally, strict boundaries allow every schools to maintain their level of rigor with enough resources. Obviously, most students and parents always wish to attend the best school possible, even if it is not as close as another.
As a result, if boundaries were deleted, either the “worse” schools will receive continually dwindling attendance or the top schools would be forced to admit students with an admission process similar to the ones used at universities.
But should the student who lives on the other side of Cox be denied from SHS for these reasons? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Households attending SHS paid the exorbitant costs to live here. If too many exceptions are made, even if just for an outstanding student, there will surely be others to follow. It’s similar to giving out food during class — when one person gets a piece, everybody suddenly wants some as well.
According to Marashian, it’s important that few exceptions are made to ensure that there is space for students who live within the attendance area.
One of these few exceptions include the children of staff members. But this scarcely affects schools as not many students fall into this category.
To put things in perspective, Saratoga High currently has 1,323 enrolled students, and some classes already seem overcrowded. With open boundaries, this figure would certainly increase.
She said opening up the boundaries will likely result in the school having as many as 600 students, adding to the crowded conditions in classes. This is not say that boundaries should not be redrawn. Many factors may influence such a decision; maybe a school located in an area with increasing population can only accommodate fewer neighborhoods each year.
Demographics may also play a role, and districts can draw lines based on whether they wish for similar or diverse ethnic groups in each school. Consequently, a student living north of Cox may be allowed to attend school here if the district lines are redrawn for whatever reason.
Families living right outside the boundaries are often disappointed when they are not allowed to attend the schools in a nearby district, Marashian said. But she feels that this is the only issue with district boundaries.
Ultimately, district boundaries are here for good reasons, and without strict adherence to their guidelines, the enrollment process becomes needlessly difficult and better schools risk being overwhelmed with students and their resources stretched thin.