No uniforms for Bullard; creating a new school district

Some Bullard High parents say the needs of their community are not the same as the Fresno Unified School District.

Next year, the clothes students wear at Bullard High School won't look much different than they do today.

In a 4 to 3 vote Wednesday night, board members turned down the initial plan for school uniforms because parents of students who did not want to participate would have to meet with school officials twice to opt out, parents like Paul Garcia's daughter.

"She's a single parent do you think she's going to have the time to go down and do all this ... heck no."

The board is asking for a revision to the plan; however parents like Charles Manock say the next step should be for Bullard to break away from the 72 thousand student district and create their own. "How do you get your wants, desires, and needs of your community answered, when you're dealing with such a large entity."

Fresno County Schools Superintendent, Larry Powell said, "Fresno Unified is at the point where questions are warranted about size ... good to take a look at."

Superintendent Larry Powell says the process to secede from Fresno Unified is long and difficult. It' a ten step process that takes a year to a year and a half to complete, and a new district would have to strike a delicate balance when drawing new lines.

Larry Powell said, "Whatever district is created you have to maintain some level of ethnic balance and demographic numbers for the district that's created and the one that you're leaving."

Some Bullard parents want to merge with Fresno and Edison High Schools to create what's being called the "Van Ness" school district. It that's not possible -- parents are considering a push to make Bullard a charter school.

Manock said, "Parents and community members are starting to say I want to know my board members, I want them to think the way I think and I want this district to reflect my neighborhood."