It is almost universally acknowledged that one of the great strengths of the Los Alamitos School District is its small size. It has allowed local parents to feel like their votes makes a difference. Since the Los Al high school students were separated from the Anaheim District in 1979, while other districts have suffered, we have thrived. But while it may be hard to conceive now, their was much opposition to “unification.” Especially from among teachers.
School District unification and consolidation was a process urged by the state legislature which apparently felt that bigger school districts would be more cost-efficient. One of the earliest official mentions by any Los Alamitos official was in summer 1963 when the Press-Telegram reported that Los Al superintendent Richard Leno officially acknowledged it: of unification was Unification
June 6, 1963 – Press-Telegram, p.B-2 — Unifying of Los Alamitos Schools Runs into a Snag; Delayed by Impending Change in Law; Unification of Los Alamitos — either with anbother district or by itself — will be long-delayed because of impending changes of a state l;awcalling for consolidation of school districts.
Dr. Richard Leno, the district superintendent, said Wednesday considerations of consolidation or unifcation will be delayed until at least the end of this session of the legislature. This will enabble local offivials to determine what is ahead for them in the way of deadlines for such studies.
One legislative bill calls for postponement of the 1965 deadline for unifcation plan by all California school districts.
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Dr. Leno disclosed that Los Alamitos District has “considered” possible unification with Seal Beach School District. Complicating this solution is the fact the two belong to different high school districts — Los Alamitos to Anaheim, Seal Beach to Huntington Beach Union High School District.
Unification with Cypress also has been proposed—and considered by both districts. They have a common boundary and both are about the same size with common problems of education, leno said. However, Los Alamitos has a slightly higher assessed valuation than does Cypress.
Raymond A. Terry, president of the Anaheim High School, said that it is the responsibility of each of the school boards to consider unifcation or consolidation.
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Some other elementary school districts in thye Anaheim HIgh School system have announced that they are lukewarm to the idea of consolidation.
And Stanton’s Savanna District disclosed that it is “opposed to unification in any form.”
In 1964 action on unification took its first official action, and the attempt was approved at the county level.
June 19, 1964 – Press-Telegram, p. B-11
Alamitos School Unity Bid OKd By County Unit
By JIM MELTON
The proposed Los Alamitos Unified School District received county level approval without difficulty Thursday night, but it may face rougher going at the state level.
Orange County Committee on School District Organization approved the plan at a meeting in Santa Ana.
The county committee, augmented by trustees of the Fullerton and North Orange County Junior College Districts, directed John C. Packard, county school administrative consultant, to set up a timetable for merger of the districts.
Board members said they hope to hold a public hearing, obtain state approval, put the merger to the voters by Jan 1, and complete the unification by July 1, 1965.
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Under the Los Alamitos unification proposal, its section of the Anaheim Union High School District would be added to the present Los Alamitos Elementary School District to create a unified kindergarten-through-12th grade school district.
All of the local school boards concerned favor the proposal, but their spokesmen fear that it may have trouble getting the necessary approval from the State Board of Education.
The state board has been pushing for formation of larger school districts and this plan would decrease the size of the Anaheim Union High School District.
Dr. Richard Leno, superintendent of the Los Alamitos Elementary District, is prepared to argue for the move. The Los Alamitos-Rossmoor area, he points out, is oriented to Long Beach, rather than Orange County; the bulk of its residents work in Orange County, read Long Beach newspapers, and do their out of town shopping in Long Beach.
He also said that unlike most of Orange County, the district’s area has distinct boundaries—freeway routes, the Orange-Los Angeles County line and Los Alamitos Naval Air Station. Because the area has community unity, it should have its own school system, he said.
The new district would share assets of the present Anaheim high school district in proportion to the number of students it took from the district. It would take over Oak Junior High School and two sites—a 25-acre plot at Cerritos and Bloomfield Street intended for a junior high school and a 47-acre high school site at Cerritos Avenue and Los Alamitos Boulevard.
Until the district could build its high school it would contract with Anaheim Union for education of its high school students. It has 3,500 elementary students and 2,500 high school students now attending Western High in Anaheim.
At a lightly attended public hearing in Rossmoor earlier this month, there were nonprotests and the only citizen to raise questions about the proposal said he favored it.
June 20, 1964 – LA Times
Los Alamitos Unification Approved
School Committees Also Back Merger of JC Districts.
The 1969 attempt was challenged very strongly, especially by some district teachers.
Dear Parents —
If the voters approve the unification plan for the Los Alamitos area, I, as a teacher, must leave Oak Junior High School.
In the seven years since the opening of Oak Junior High School, I have had the rewarding experience of working with over 1,1963-400 of your children. It would be with extreme regret that I would leave this school. However, my philosophy of education does not coincide with that of any of the candidates running for the Unified Board.
I have grown to respect the Anaheim Union High School District Board of Education, (who last year received one of the awards given to the five outstanding boards in the nation). The candidates who are running for the Unified Board to not have any background in setting policies for secondary education.
Education is now big business and we need qualified people in order to cope with the growing problems of education. In the Anaheim Board we have men who have ably demonstrated their ability.
Because of the small size of the proposed Unified District, I feel it would be impossibl;e for your childfen to receive an education comparable to that offered by the Anaheim Union HIgh School District. The supportive facilities and materials now made available at Oak Junior High School would be greatly curtailed.
For these reasons I feel I must leave Oak Junior High School andremain with the Anaheim Union HIgh School District if unification takes place, so I can remain a part of a fine education system.
s/Lorraine Spencery
Los Alamitos
Ms. Spencer did not have to leave the district then because unification was voted down, and wouldn’t happen until ten years later.