Santa Maria-Bonita District Says Measure “T” Will Help Ease Overcrowding In Schools

This school year, the Santa Maria-Bonita School District reached a milestone by having over 16,000 students enrolled. The continuous growth, however, is responsible for overcrowded classrooms – something the district is trying to get rid of.

“It’s different when you have more kids, more bodies in a classroom,” said Veda Alvarez Flores.

Flores has been teaching for 39 years. She says she’s seen overcrowding before and is learning that “it has to be peer-peer collaboration, student and teacher collaboration, group collaboration,” to make sure every child’s needs are met.

Rubiceli Elias and Paul Velasco are both fifth-graders in Ms. Flores’ class at Ontiveros Elementary School.

“It gets a little bit over crowded at times when [they] are moving seats,” Elias said.

Her classmate, Paul, agrees and told KCOY 12’s reporter Cory James that “it doesn’t bother [him] because [his] teacher calms the class down.

Over 1,000 students attend Ontiveros Elementary School and the school’s principal, Rebecca Herrick, said the school is designed to hold 600 students.

Herrick said that’s one reason the district is currently busing more than 180 students to other schools.

In addition to lack of space, Herrick says safety is a concern. She along with the district is hoping that voters will remember that in November and pass measure “T” – a bond that will allow the district to move forward with plans to build additional schools to ease overcrowding.