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Renne Grace (1983)
To add to the information on the closure of PHS. Prior to the push to close Pacific, the superintendent (at the time) was looking ahead to reduced student population. He made a recommendation to he board that the Junior Highs be shuttered, San Leandro become the Junior High School, and Pacific become the High school. Pacific had room to expand to handle the student body if the student population trend changed. This caught everyone by surprise. Being an attendee of John Muir, I attended the public meetings related to this. We heard alot of angry eastside parents complain about having to cross town and drop their kids off in our crime and drug ridden school. Even the proximity of industry and 880 were mentioned as reasons the eastside parents didn't want their kids coming to the PHS. Eventually the school board punted and moved the 9th grade up to High School. Following this, the board got rid of that superintendent and began planning behind close doors.
When the push came to close Pacific:
1. Closing Pacific was the only plan. At a board meeting, I specifically asked if closing SL, or the previous superintendent's plan were consdidered. I got a resounding "NO" from the current superintendent and nods from the board members in attendance.
2. I received a negative answer if construction (seismic survivability) was part of the consideration in closing Pacific? It seems the Hayward fault is very close to SLHS, but that didn't matter.
As part of the student body that tried to stop the closure I learned alot.
1.After pacific was closed, Redwood Christian inquired about renting the facility, but the SL school district wasn't interested.
2. The developer that built the strip mall there was a "friend" of a board member. Years later, he wanted the sports fields too for parking, but city required an equal size and capable facility be provided as a replacement.
3. The sports fields actually belonged to the city, and San Lorenzo school district rented them, so early on, San Leandro had to play their games at the "Pacific fields" at less desirable times. Remember, no lights allowed at SLHS. Once PHS was gone, no pressure on SLHS neighbors to allow lights and night games.
4. Pacific as it was commissioned was never finished. It was missing one wing and indoor swimming pool. Bond money for the missing wing and indoor pool was spent on SLHS.
The closing of PHS was done, with steps taken to ensure that SLHS would never be threatened again. It took the school board many years, to pass a school bond because of PHS closing. When they did, many of those promises to the "westside" to get their support, were not kept. The coup de grace for the westside was the building of that 9th grade school, right on East 14th (so much for the traffic arguement against Pacific). Saddest Irony is that PHS was in the center of the city (by driving).
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