Macarthur Fundamental School

After enduring days of food out of Styrofoam, cold weather and endless chitchat to while away the time, 149 anxious parents Saturday earned coveted slots for their children in sixth grade at a popular Santa Ana public school next fall. But the suspense isn't over yet. Parents who spent nearly a week waiting in line to gain admission for their children now must wait to find out if school officials will eliminate the grade from MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate school.

After enduring days of food out of Styrofoam, cold weather and endless chitchat to while away the time, 149 anxious parents Saturday earned coveted slots for their children in sixth grade at a popular Santa Ana public school next fall. But the suspense isn't over yet. Parents who spent nearly a week waiting in line to gain admission for their children now must wait to find out if school officials will eliminate the grade from MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate school.

She grinned about the pain in her knee because it paled in comparison to the glee in her heart after giving her grandson a first step toward a better life. Juanita Muro simply wanted something more for 11-year-old Gabriel, whose mother has been in prison since he was a baby. She wanted his school to be a sanctuary from the world's drug-poisoned playgrounds and gang-patrolled halls. If standing in line and leaning on her bad knee was the only way, she would wait. She had plenty of company.

Pedro Lozano, also known as No. 3, grabbed his clipboard Tuesday and, from the shade of a jacaranda tree, began calling roll. Already, 84 families had arrived with tents and lawn chairs, blankets and umbrellas and a week's worth of food to camp outside the prestigious MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate School until Saturday. Their goal: to secure spots for their children in the Santa Ana Unified School District's only fundamental intermediate school. Campers know the rules they created.

Pedro Lozano, also known as No. 3, grabbed his clipboard Tuesday and, from the shade of a jacaranda tree, began calling roll. Already, 84 families had arrived with tents and lawn chairs, blankets and umbrellas and a week's worth of food to camp outside the prestigious MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate School until Saturday. Their goal: to secure spots for their children in the Santa Ana Unified School District's only fundamental intermediate school. Campers know the rules they created.

All four high schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District will have new principals as of July 1. The administrative changes follow the departure of Santa Ana High School Principal Andy Hernandez to another district. Joe Tafoya, assistant superintendent for the secondary division, said last week that Hernandez, who is leaving the district to head Santa Barbara High School, will be replaced by Judy Duesterberg, the current principal at Valley High School.

Santa Ana school trustees Tuesday delayed voting whether to do away with the annual rite of parent camp-outs to enroll children in the district's six magnet schools and replace it with a lottery. Board members said they postponed action because board President Nadia Davis was absent. A vote on the change is now set for Oct. 9.

The Board of Education has postponed a decision on whether to designate two new campuses as fundamental schools. The governing board of the Santa Ana Unified School District agreed last week to wait until after May 4 to consider what kind of curriculum to implement at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School and Raymond A. Villa Intermediate School.

Five Orange County schools are among winners of the 1989-90 California Distinguished Middle and High School Awards, which recognize schools that have dramatically increased average scores on California Assessment Program tests. The winners were announced by Bill Honig, state superintendent of public instruction, at a meeting of the state Department of Education.

She grinned about the pain in her knee because it paled in comparison to the glee in her heart after giving her grandson a first step toward a better life. Juanita Muro simply wanted something more for 11-year-old Gabriel, whose mother has been in prison since he was a baby. She wanted his school to be a sanctuary from the world's drug-poisoned playgrounds and gang-patrolled halls. If standing in line and leaning on her bad knee was the only way, she would wait. She had plenty of company.

A joint health-awareness project by Santa Ana Unified School District and the United Western Medical Centers has won a first-place Golden Bell award from the California School Boards Assn. The association annually presents the Gold Bell awards for outstanding education programs in grade schools and high schools. The award honored a program at McFadden Intermediate School in which United Western Medical Centers is assisting.

Facing long waiting lists and parent requests, officials tonight will consider adding another fundamental school to the city system. Santa Ana Unified School District already has two elementary and one intermediate school that are designated as fundamental, which require parents to be involved with campus activities and students to comply with behavior and dress codes. According to the district, 843 students are on the waiting list for the two elementary fundamental schools.