Editor:

The Fortuna Elementary School District is currently negotiating with Redwood Preparatory Charter School for space to house their school ("Charter 
School Rift," Jan. 24). The districts offer was fair: Use of six classrooms; additional full-size classroom which could be divided for multiple uses such as administration office and individual instruction; shared use of girl's and boy's bathrooms; shared use of outdoor recreation field and equipment; shared use of all parking, and shared use of cafeteria/multi-purpose room.

I see some problems next year when parents find out Redwood Preparatory school teenagers are sharing restrooms with Fortuna Elementary kids as young as 6 years old. Consider the confusion in the already-packed parking area when the parents of 170 more children try to drop off and pick up kids. Where are the classes going which were in these buildings before? How much is this going to cost? I seem to remember the "Consolidation of Fortuna and Rohnerville School Districts" was to save money and it ended up costing one district quite a bit more. Will this be the same deal?

Redwood Prep has actually made a counter proposal to the district asking for more space than what was offered. They say "The district's preliminary proposal does not allocate enough specialized classroom space to the charter school." The charter school is requiring special education classrooms, art/music classrooms, technology labs and indoor fitness space, also non-teaching space such as administrative offices, multipurpose room, gym space, staff lounge, cafeteria, nurse's office, parking, playfields, library and kitchen, with a copy room and a teacher/lunch space too.

I don't see an empty school when I walk the halls of South School. I see full classrooms, hallways full of kids, and no empty space. Trying to fit another school into this campus is not in the best interest of our children.

John Miller, Fortuna