Organizers for a South Bay Little League group said they are worried about their future in Santa Clara.
There are essentially three baseball fields on Santa Clara Unified School District property, right next to Haman Elementary, baseball diamonds that the Westside Little League has rented from the district for years.
But some families said that planned school improvements could now cost them their league.
Santa Clara’s Westside Little League is a big league with about 300 players in different age divisions spread out over two full baseball fields and one small farm field.
All on property owned by the Santa Clara Unified School District and directly connected to Haman Elementary School. The district is now considering a 30-year master plan for all of its schools that could reduce green space. It would make room for improvements at Haman but eliminate at least one full baseball diamond.
“That’s like two divisions that are going to be completely gone and our leagues literally thrives off those divisions,” said Westside Little League vice president Brittany Motta.
The school district and a school board member declined to go on-camera but pointed out improvements at Haman would not just be for more parking and a safer pickup area ... though they said it is needed.
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But would also allow for more room for physical education activities and new or expanded learning facilities.
They also emphasize the master plan review at Thursday’s board meeting is only to approve a general ‘road map’ and that all projects including for Haman would be considered individually over the years with lots of community input.
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Parents who grew up in Santa Clara are skeptical.
“Taking this away, a little piece at a time. I mean, eventually it’s all going to be gone. I mean when I grew up, we had five Little Leagues in Santa Clara and we can’t keep two right now? It just seems, it just seems unbelievable to me,” said Santa Clara resident Joe Garcia.
Even though, as the district points out, many of the projects could be years away from starting, the fight over this one will begin to ramp up at the school board meeting Thursday night.
