Foster City Islander Article - 01-31-2007
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Charter Public |
Phyllis Moore, President, Foster City High School Foundation |
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Our Second Critical Milestone
Last spring, Foster City distributed a public survey that asked, “What use for the 15-acre site do you think the City should approve?” A total of 1106 people submitted surveys and 886 (80%) of them requested a “high school” because it would make Foster City an even better place to “live, work and visit.” The next highest percentage of responses was 7% for Parks/Recreation/Cultural uses. This informal survey shows that a large majority of those who responded want a high school on the 15-acre site. It confirmed that residents strongly support education through grade 12 in Foster City. They care about our children’s future and our city’s future.
Our first critical milestone was the City Council’s unanimous decision to reserve 4 of the 15 acres for a charter public high school. The many residents who want a high school can feel satisfied that their voices were heard, and they now look forward to a high school in Foster City.
Our second critical milestone is the City Council’s approval of our business plan. The Foundation will submit the preliminary plan on January 31, 2007, the deadline set by the City Council. It lays out a provisional design, the estimated costs, and a general financing strategy. The City staff will evaluate the plan and present their analysis and recommendations to the City Council at its March 5, 2007 public meeting. Our high school project can move forward only after the City Council accepts the business plan and continues to reserve 4 acres of the 15-acre site for our high school.
The plan must remain preliminary until the City selects the developer in mid-2007 and amends the Master Plan late this year. The Foundation and our partner High Tech High will work with the City and the developer to create a shared vision for the school and efficiently integrate it into the overall 15-acre development. Foster City will benefit greatly from the experience and insight of HTH. Its award-winning schools have become models for architects and school planners nationwide, with building costs per student that are less than half that of other public schools across the state.
One part of our vision is already clear. There is a strong community desire and an urgent educational need for a high school in Foster City. We look forward to working closely with the city staff, council members and everyone in our community as we transform this vision into a reality.
