Board of Education rejects Walnut Creek parents' plan to split from Mt. Diablo Unified
WALNUT CREEK – The California Board of Education has unanimously rejected a petition by parents in a section of Walnut Creek to create a separate school district carved out of the Mount Diablo Unified School District.
In a 10-0 decision, the board rejected the "Northgate Unified School District" petition after it found the proposal failed to meet legal criteria, that there were no compelling reasons to create a new district and compelling reasons to reject.
The proposal was brought on by residents in an area of Walnut Creek, who had sought to create a new district consisting of five schools out of MDUSD's 50 campuses. Boundaries of the proposed district would have covered the attendance areas of Bancroft Elementary, Valle Verde Elementary, Walnut Acres Elementary, Foothill Middle School and Northgate High School.
Wednesday's rejection follows a recommendation by the Contra Costa County Committee on School District Reorganization, who found the proposal failed to meet legal criteria. The committee said the proposal would have promoted ethnic discrimination or segregation, disrupt educational programs and negatively impact finances in Mount Diablo Unified and the new district.
A separate analysis by the California Department of Education also urged rejection of the Northgate Unified proposal.
"Settling this issue once and for all means that we can now unite in working together for an excellent education for all," MDUSD boardmember Cherise Khaund said in a statement.
Mount Diablo Unified serves 29,000 students in Clayton, Concord and Pleasant Hill, along with portions of Martinez, Pittsburg, Walnut Creek, Bay Point, Lafayette and Pacheco.