Schools as Centers of Communities

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Mixed-Use Schools Can Revitalize Inner-City Communities

No one doubts Fresno has grown up and out. But with student overcrowding at its worst in the heart of the city, the operative question is: can it grow inwards?

Fresno needs to build new schools, revitalize blighted inner-city neighborhoods and find better ways to provide government services. Can it do all three at the same time?

Participants at a May 2^nd forum think the answer is yes. If new schools are built for multiple purposes, then students can attend during the day, other citizens can use their facilities for recreation, and government can use them as centers for distribution of information and services.

"Joint-use planning" is the magic phrase. This means creating schools that serve multiple purposes, not just education. It also means the potential for multiple funding streams, more efficient usage and greater community involvement.

On May 2^nd , community leaders traded ideas on how Fresno Unified might leverage the $199 million in bond funds it has already received to meld future elementary school construction over the next 10 years with health, government and recreation services.

A panel of educators, agency executives, and elected officials considered how best to work together in a morning event at Fresno State University sponsored by the California Policy Forum and area business and civic groups.

Citizen Reflections on Growth

Prior to the Forum, Fresno citizens discussed community growth issues, many of which can be directly addressed by joint-use school planning. Three ChoiceWork Dialogues -- carefully designed citizen-to-citizen interactions created by famed pollster Daniel Yankelovich -- were held in Fresno in April to facilitate public judgment on how Fresno should address the impacts of growth on the region’s quality of life.

After considering the trade offs between absorbing growth without making any changes, stopping all growth, and concentrating on improving the economy and relieving traffic congestion, citizens agreed on key community goals. These included improved and expanded public transit; roads that are more pedestrian and bicycle friendly; improved east-west traffic corridors; cleaner air; protecting farmland; limiting urban sprawl by focusing on redeveloping existing urban areas; coordinating planning among jurisdictions, and attracting new, cleaner industries while retaining existing businesses. They made the connection between education and higher paying jobs and stressed the need for “real world” job training, vocational education and access to life-long learning.

Dialogue findings were presented at the Forum by community leaders who observed the citizen deliberations. Leaders noted that few citizens were aware of the information available to them or what government was doing to address the goals participants identified.

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“I just hope that what we’ve done today, that somebody will listen.”

– Dialogue Participant

Overheard

“Fresno needs to build schools in the center of the community, not just at the urban fringe as the city grows.” – Dan Whitehurst, Maddy Institute of Public Affairs

“Ask people where they want to live, and at the root is generally good schools.” – Robert Wood, CSE Homes

“The ultimate outcome is not just new buildings but increased student achievement and quality of life.”

– H. Spees

Additional Resources

Use the following links to learn more about the forum and the issues:

Fresno Bee, May 3, 2002 -- Plan melds schools, neighborhoods: Merging education and government services could revitalize troubled areas.

Fresno Bee, May 2, 2002 -- Fresno schools get flak on land: Property values are tied to the district's building plans.

Fresno Bee, May 12, 2002 -- Eligible sites for new schools prove scarce in Valley, state.

Assembly Bill 2588 -- as amended May 1, 2002.

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The California Policy Project seeks to create opportunities for California citizens and leaders to meet, discuss, and find common ground on sensible long-term reforms to the state's land use, fiscal, and governmental policies, and to educate and engage policy-makers in collaborative efforts to implement these reforms.

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The California Policy Forum (CPF) is made possible through the generosity of the James Irvine Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. To learn more about CPF, please visit www.calpolicyforum.net.

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