Karen S. Kim
Schools in Crescenta Valley have big expectations for September,
and a lot of that has to do with enrollment.
District and school officials are estimating that enrollment in
the Crescenta Valley cluster of schools will be higher than expected,
based on early estimates.
The cluster includes Fremont, La Crescenta, Lincoln, Dunsmore,
Valley View, Monte Vista and Mountain Avenue elementary schools,
Rosemont Middle School and Crescenta Valley High School.
The expanded and renovated campus of Crescenta Valley High School
was built to accommodate 2,500 students, a capacity school officials
are expecting to exceed this year. Talbert estimates that enrollment
could be about 2,550 come September.
But Talbert said the school isn't worried about being overcrowded.
The district is able to provide more teachers, and Crescenta Valley
High has enough space to handle the overload, he said.
"We have the room," Talbert said. "We want to make sure we can
serve all the kids well, and we certainly think we're ready for this
year's group."
Though Talbert said enrollment tends to surge and wane over the
years, it might be awhile before Crescenta Valley's enrollment sees a
lull.
That's because the elementary schools and middle school feeding
students into the high school are also seeing increased enrollments.
"Word gets around," district spokesman Vic Pallos said. "When
people call our district and want to know what schools have won
awards, people moving into the area are looking toward schools that
have won major awards and have the highest state testing scores."
And the Crescenta Valley cluster of schools has both.
Crescenta Valley High School was chosen as one of the leading high
schools in the country in 2000, winning recognition as a National
Blue Ribbon School and becoming the first high school in Glendale to
receive such an award.
Rosemont Middle School won the same award twice -- in 1985 and
1984.
Between 2000 and 2002, the Crescenta Valley cluster of schools
were among the top-ranked schools in Glendale according to the
Academic Performance Index decile rankings. Rosemont Middle School
was the top-ranked middle school in Glendale for all three years,
according to numbers released by the state Department of Education.
"I think the schools in our cluster have a great reputation, and
that's basically due to our students and our teachers," Talbert
said.
