After four years, I have found that the academic rigor has only improved my experience and has never lead to competition between classmates. It's not one blank wall. Building an unnecessary underground garage that isn't needed, is a threat to the environment and sets a dangerous precedent for other neighborhoods. 4. Based on recent reviews by an independent consultant, the city determined that Castilleja has an existing gross floor area of 138,345 square feet. Thanksfor the article on Castilleja'sexpansion. I doubt these families are rushing to downsize into cheaper homes on much smaller lots and give up their staff, cars and other amenities so their daughters can bike to school. 202122 Tuition As such, it is "anticipated to have fewer impacts on protected trees and construction-related disturbances," according to a new report from the Department of Planning and Community Environment. Because it is not. and Dudeks 11/17/21 report on Castilleja School Building Survey and Gross Floor Area Assessment. That's why the school has instituted and proposed an extraordinarily extensive list of TDM measures, so that no additional traffic can burden the neighborhood. Castilleja School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in California for: Highest average SAT score, Highest average ACT score, Largest student body, Most sports offered, Oldest founding date and Largest endowments. This process has continued to devolve, as each time Castilleja changes its plan in deference to the naysayers, those [portion removed] pivot to some other minuscule detail to complain about. Castilleja's 6th through 12th grade program offers opportunities for girls across all grade levels to develop a keen sense of self and an unbridled zeal for exploration, innovation, and friendship. If approved, the underground garage would have 24 fewer spaces than the structure that was previously proposed. Every single one of my classmates will become amazing women when they grow up, and Castilleja has been instrumental in developing our confidence, poise, ability to express ourselves, and compassion for others. Advertising Info The school desperately needs to modernize the buildings and the process in order to do so has been ridiculous. Short term inconveniences of construction for 100 plus more years of educating young women seems like a small price to pay. Responding to city feedback and community criticism, Castilleja School has revised its plan to rebuild its Bryant Street campus in Palo Alto so that it now features a smaller garage, enhanced tree protection and additional measures to encourage alternatives to driving.It includes five different designs for the garage, as well as new restrictions on the number of school events a source of consternation for some of the school's neighbors. As Castilleja's land use attorney, my role has been two-fold: (i) to advise the school on the complex legal parameters within which Castilleja's goals for sustainable growth must be contained; and (ii) to counsel the school as they received feedback from and sought compromise with stakeholders. This is not about education, it is about greed and hubris. austin.hanson. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! We were glad to see city council land on a 450 max enrollment to start, which most neighbors would support, and then entertain further requests down the road. Years from now Palo Altans will be proud.. @Staying Home - In PA, housing is effectively a finite resource. Express / Weekend Express March 1, 2023 at 6:20 p.m. St. Ignatius announced Lenny Vandermade as the team's head football coach via a press release on Wednesday. and current research that affirm the significant personal and Let's reduce the pain to all parties, to more quickly get their renovations completed! I think you misunderstand my above post. Related Articles of students and parents agree that clubs and organizations get the funding they need. Sports Additional Expenses: Special Pubs "If Castilleja really wants 500 to 600 students, it's time to move or open another campus like so many others do.". I had an amazing experience in middle school at Casti. Now they propose that the building be 3 feet taller and even more massive than the previously approved design. 3. Neither can be avoided 100%, but why add whats not really needed? Castilleja School is an independent school for girls in grades six through twelve, located in Palo Alto, California. Because the PTC spent a long time asking the planning officials how they made decisions, how they determined whether to move a project from "pending" to "ongoing" to "completed," noting that some "completed" items got moved back to pending and ongoing. Dont worry I wont hold my breath waiting for you to take action. The other, known as Scheme A, creates 104 spaces but it does so by utilizing space on an athletic field, an option that both staff and Castilleja are hoping to avoid.If approved, the underground garage would have 24 fewer spaces than the structure that was previously proposed. Maybe Castilleja could pay their staff more, but unless they're going to match Google, Facebook, etc, (which obviously can't/won't happen), highly paid tech workers will just keep bidding up the price of our very limited housing and leave teachers still unable to afford it. Process, finger-pointing and arcane arguments should never be allowed to obsucre common sense. When added to 26 surface spaces that currently exist and that would remain, Scheme E creates a total of 89 spaces. "Does it seem to you that this is going to bite us in the rear when we look at this project in the future and ask, 'Why did we make a big deal out of this minor difference in underground parking?'" A veteran teacher and administrator, Nanci has worked almost exclusively at all-girls schools. It may be limited to public school teachers. Castelleja has been over their enrollment limit for just under twenty years, they shouldnt be allowed to expand as a reward for not holding up their end of the bargain. The information contained in these 2 reports should cause the PTC to send Castillejas expansion plans back to the drawing board. remains true to its mission to give each young woman an "educated I know the value of this education, as my daughter was fortunate enough to have gone there for 7 years. Home While Castilleja has maintained that it added the garage to its plans at the behest of neighbors who wanted cars off the street, Levitsky and other members of the neighborhood group suggested on Wednesday that the facility remains incompatible with the surrounding community. Average ACT composite score out of 36, as reported by Niche users from this school. As in the past, the public was split between those who believe Castilleja is still asking for too much, particularly when it comes to its proposed underground garage, and those who argued that Castilleja's project is worthy of approval and that the city's process has already dragged on for too long.Bill Burch fell squarely in the latter camp. Alcheck asked his colleagues.The revised proposal includes five garage designs, though only three of them meet the council's March direction of the underground facility to include no more than 50% of the required on-site parking, which amounts to 52 spaces. They are also asking for an exception that allows the underground garage not to count toward GFA. Their enrollment cap since 2000 is 415 students, but they've exceeded that number since 2002. Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic. of our extraordinary faculty and staff, we are dedicated to Also, just as Casti continues to conflate the schools stellar ability to educate young women, which NO ONE disputes, with land use entitlements, neighbors continue to question the likelihood that terms of the CUP and TDM program will be enforced. The school has come up with options to address both. Here's a roadmap to finding the school you want. Student-Teacher Ratio may not be indicative of class size. Teacher at California high school arrested after recording devices found in restroom Castilleja School Foundation - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica CASTILLEJA SCHOOL FOUNDATION PALO ALTO, CA 94301-3507 | Tax-exempt since Aug. 1943 EIN: 94-0373222 Classification ( NTEE ). 5. It should be clarified for those who did not attend that Online Name's point about the PTC spending so much time asking about decision making was in relation to an earlier agenda item and not the Castilleja proposal. Who is trustworthy in this process? Three of Castilleja's proposed designs include 52 underground parking spaces, while two other options have 57 and 69 underground spaces, respectively.So far, planning staff is leaning toward what's known as "Scheme E," which combines a 52-space underground garage with 11 new at-grade parking spaces. Community Calendar Castilleja Head of School GUIDING THEMES Each year, Ms. KauffmanHA carefully selects a theme for the school year and distributes a sticker on opening day: Belonging 2019-20, Justice 2020-21,. The Almanac I am one of the Casti supporters who stayed up way too late to speak at the meeting last night. It also includes measures that require Castilleja to prove that its transportation measures are effective before it can gradually increase enrollment from the current level of 422 students to 540. No matter how many times Castilleja goes back to the drawing board and comes up with a new solution, the neighbors shut it down. I think we've pretty much been saying the same thing for 5 years. @Rita Vrhel, The other two alternatives with 52 underground spaces have drawbacks that make them either less feasible or less desirable. "So this plan is quite appropriate for the sustainability and mobility not just for the school but for the city.". He and others suggested that Castilleja's project is being unfairly held up by a small but vocal group of opponents who are continuously moving the goal posts. 2023 Palo Alto Online. It seems fair to assume any family in a position to receive significant tuition assistance probably can't afford to live near Castilleja at current prices. Please. Become a member today. Mask stepped down as the head coach at Pell City High . Photo by Sinead Chang. People that viewed Castilleja School also viewed these schools: The nearest high school to Castilleja School is, Fun athletic energetic school with good teachers. He and other members of the group Preserve Neighborhood Quality of Life Now (PNQLNow) argued that it is the school and planning staff who are responsible for the process taking so long. We've always known that this is a compromise and we are just so ready to get this done.". The revised plans, which seek to respond to the council's direction, are now set to undergo a series of reviews by the Architectural Review Board, which will consider them on Dec. 2, and the Planning and Transportation Commission, which will review them on Dec. 8. It is absolutely appropriate to block this expansion if it does nothing for community. The surface parking would be created by shifting the school's swimming pool eastward, moving the pool stairs and eliminating the below-grade ramp that was intended for deliveries and trash pickup. Annual Report 2019-2020. The City Council, ARB & PTC members have had YEARS to consider the schools many proposals, each of which has sought to compromise in ways that responded to neighbors concerns. [12], In 2007, Castilleja celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding. The Almanac The 7/23/21 Fehr & Peers Castilleja Parking Study commissioned by Castilleja School indicates a parking garage of any size is NOT NECESSARY. Maybe the Casti parents could start addressing it in their own companies, law firms and vc firms?? Will the decisions about Casti be consistent with the decision about the downtown garage? -- on larger lots with 1-acre+ zoning Its ridiculous that this is even being considered. Spring 2020: Volume 79 Number 3. Blah. That should be the baseline for discussion and is the baseline for the school's new proposal. The project encountered a similar division at the Architectural Review Board hearing on Dec. 2, which focused less on transportation and more on the design of the building. AI (Artificial Intelligence), specifically ChatGPT, poses some serious challenges for teachers. they remain out of compliance with. She currently serves on the Boards of Trustees of the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), Wagner College in New York City and the Peninsula Bridge organization in San Mateo. No objective person can buy the "no new car trips" and "no new traffic" claims. Sponsored content Help sustain the local news you depend on. [11], In 2016, Castilleja announced its intentions to build an underground parking garage and upgrade and replace buildings to increase enrollment to 540 students. An unfortunate case of "Who's on First." People who live on Kellogg have stated at open hearings that they dont want a break in the building there because the building creates an effective barrier between life inside and life outside of campus. Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do. Also, please realize that if any of the students are on a club sport, they will be driving or having someone come pick them up; don't think that they will take a train or public transit. School you want '' and `` no new car trips '' and `` no new car trips and. Vrhel, the city determined that Castilleja has an existing gross floor area.... This expansion if it does nothing for community should be the baseline for the city. `` hold... 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