A Walnut Creek neighborhood's proposal to split off from Mt. Diablo Unified School District was under review Wednesday with the state Board of Education.
Families in the Northgate community proposed the secession back in 2017, and the local school board rejected it. Their appeal now is being heard in Sacramento.
The proposal would allow five schools to secede from Mt. Diablo Unified and form a new district. Northgate families want Northgate High School, Foothill Middle School and Bancroft, Valle Verde and Walnut Acres elementary schools split from Mt. Diablo, saying the district has become too bloated and a new smaller district would lead to better oversight and stronger community leadership.
Critics argue the move is rooted in a desire to weed out low-income and minority families. Mt. Diablo would see its median income drop, and because districts depend heavily on property taxes and parent donations as a source of funding, a number of programs for students could be affected.
In 2017, the Contra Costa County Board of Education rejected the proposal in a 3-2 decision.
If the state board approves the appeal, it will go to a vote with all Mt. Diablo Unified voters.
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