23 Nanci Kauffman, head of Castilleja, said Monday that the school is prepared to reduce its proposed square footage in accordance with the council's direction, but said she hopes this "minor change . [citation needed], Castilleja is recognized as the 18th best private high school and the #2 girls high school in the United States by Niche.com in their 2023 rankings. Annual Report 2019-2020. These activities, which would be relegated to the underground garage in the original proposal, would now take place in designated loading areas in the Emerson parking lot. Building an unnecessary underground garage that isn't needed, is a threat to the environment and sets a dangerous precedent for other neighborhoods. Thats legal now. Blogs Bryant is a bicycle boulevard and care has been taken over many years to create a street that is hospitable to bikers of all ages and genders. Castilleja School Photo #6 - Sophomores tackle chemistry class. I don't agree that it doesn't matter the size of enrollment, because more student bodies means more parents and cars and staff, teachers, volunteers and event attendees. As uncomfortable as it might be to tell Castilleja NO to the garage, that is the only way to move forward in a way that aligns with the Citys S-CAP goals. Contact Us It's much more relevant to the Casti discussion than the long-winded speeches about how only Casti can end sexism, misogyny and discrimination when all those conditions have been and continue to be so blatant in Silicon Valley, Just follow the news for all the lawsuits and multi-million-dollar discrimination. Castilleja School offers 11 interscholastic sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball and Water Polo. And because Lew's term is about to conclude and he is not seeking another term, the ultimate decision about whether the new design passes muster could hinge on a board member who has not yet been appointed and who may have other ideas about the building's design.Lee and Thompson, however, felt that the building is fine the way it is, having already gone through years of refinements and public hearings. "So this plan is quite appropriate for the sustainability and mobility not just for the school but for the city. Nanci Kauffman, Castilleja's head of school, assured both panels in recent meetings that the school has already made many compromises with neighbors and urged them to approve the project and allow the school to increase enrollment. "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. 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. The Almanac Castilleja School is a top rated, private, all-girls school located in PALO ALTO, CA. The pursuit of our motto, "Women Learning, Women Leading," has Exactly what I needed: Los Gatos teachers move into affordable units "It's often called an 'expansion,' but the footprint would be smaller. Speakers forget that for most of its existence Casti was a boarding school with some local day girls, and very low impact on the neighborhood. I absolutely am a neighbor. 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. -- on larger lots with 1-acre+ zoning Let Castilleja move to a new location like most of the other private schools have done - Keys, Pinewood, Harker are just a few. Print Edition/Archives Thank you Castilleja! The only reason anyone knew that Castilleja had surpassed their enrollment is because Castilleja got a new head who reported it. AND the additional enrollment. Sign up for the Peninsula Foodist newsletter. ""There is no reason for the underground garage," Reed said. It has 416 students in grades 6-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 7 to 1. and variances that the general public wouldn't receive; This project has been under consideration SINCE 2016 - likely the longest project in Palo Alto history - because the demands keep shifting. 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. Please come back!". There's also something called little C at the end of the day, where the teachers also help you. Let Castilleja modernize and let this project get underway. They knew they were moving into an area near a school when they moved in. News Density, drop-offs on the streets, events that are out of hand. "Castilleja, for its part, has consistently rejected the notion that it is looking to "expand." It is responsive and thoughtful. 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. He is a Venezuelan-American raised in Texas with bylines in the Champaign, Ill. News-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Dallas Morning News. Laptop: $1,000 - $2,000 Once again, the school leaders have made significant changes in response to feedback. Downtown parking garage. I also heard that a non-Black student said the n-word, and there were complaints that this was not dealt with severely enough. [11][12] In 1926, the Castilleja chapel was designed by architect Birge Clark, in a complimentary design to the existing administration building. One, known as Scheme B, would create a total of 83 spaces and, as such, require a 20% parking reduction, the maximum allowed under the zoning code. However, they made their site large when they got the city to give them the 200 block of Melville in 1992, and merged 6 residential lots into the school, so they can't use size to qualify for a variance. It was then that I recognized the unique potential of an all-girls learning environment to empower young womento find their voices. In both cases, the public hearings are intended to solicit early feedback and will not include any formal action.Among the biggest differences between Castilleja's prior plan and its current one is the size of the proposed underground garage. 202122 Tuition "If they were to request a 10% enrollment increase, we'd be looking at about 450 students and there's there's sufficient parking on-site for 450. 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. The application deadline for Castilleja School is Jan. 9. Casti families are hardly impoverished; 75% come from wealthier communities than Palo Alto with more expensive housing -- Los Altos Hills, Woodside, Portola Valley, Atherton, etc. "It's ridiculous.". A shuttle would then bring them to the campus. [3][4], Castilleja was founded in 1907 by Mary Ishbel Lockey. of students agree that they like their school and feel happy there. The Almanac "Castilleja operates under a CUP (conditional use permit) which is a privilege and not an entitlement," Sylvester said. The message from the Head of School reads, in part, "Understanding the importance of actively teaching and learning antiracism, our leadership competencies prepare Castilleja graduates to lead . 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. Bill Burch fell squarely in the latter camp. And isn't the staff already stuck parking in the Baylands and being shuttled onto campus while students will use the campus parking? Express / Weekend Express 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. of students and parents agree that students at this school are creative and artsy. Among the biggest differences between Castilleja's prior plan and its current one is the size of the proposed underground garage. And because Lew's term is about to conclude and he is not seeking another term, the ultimate decision about whether the new design passes muster could hinge on a board member who has not yet been appointed and who may have other ideas about the building's design. Going on record as accepting the lies and deceptions of Castilleja about their enrollment, which to this very day INDIANAPOLIS (WNDU) - A bill passed by the Indiana Senate on Tuesday aims to help parents and perhaps prosecutors get "bad books" off the shelves of K-12 school libraries. Prior to becoming Head on July 1, 2010, Nanci served as Associate Head of School and Dean of Faculty. Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic. On page 5, the report details the location of all 330 on -street parking spaces comprised of 54 school- frontage parking spaces and 276 non -frontage parking spaces. However, if you tackle it methodically, you will get good results. We explore the importance of teaching students how to attribute the work and ideas of others. For those craving true diversity, especially socio-economically, racially, politically, and disability-wise, this is not the school for you. Even in its revised form, an underground garage has no business being in a residential neighborhood, critics of the project maintained. Quality of academic programs, teachers, and facilities, Availability of music, art, sports and other extracurricular activities, Castilleja School Photo #3 - Middle School English. Here, however, the split occurred between the five board members, who were charged with further refining the building's faade. The City Council concurred with some of the arguments from the project's critics in March, when it reviewed Castilleja's plans and directed it to reduce its proposed underground garage a target for project opponents and to further refine the design of its buildings to make it more compatible with the residential areas that abut its campus at 1310 Bryant St. Castilleja is a dynamic, diverse, and intentional educational community for students in grades 6-12 that believes in the power of women learning and women leading. PALO ALTO Castilleja Schools proposed expansion, a sore subject among neighbors who have been fighting it for years, has hit another roadblock. "I feel this plan is better than ever because of all the feedback and iteration and response. This is Andie Reed. I had an amazing experience in middle school at Casti. The school has come up with options to address both. Sign up for our. Sports "They must take into account the impact they make in the health, welfare and quiet enjoyment of their neighbors.". Rob Levitsky, who lives near Castilleja, sees the situation differently. While this would require a 14% reduction in the parking requirement, Planning Director Jonathan Lait suggested in a report that staff would be amenable to adjusting the parking requirements, given Castilleja's suite of measures that discourage driving to school. My question is: WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF PALO ALTO? [Portion removed.] Please. A&E Are they housing teachers and staff? One, known as Scheme B, would create a total of 83 spaces and, as such, require a 20% parking reduction, the maximum allowed under the zoning code. Just so sad that the City has really allowed this to drag on. Sign up for the Peninsula Foodist newsletter. Home This is all at a time when accommodations such as Castilleja is seeking need to be made for "overriding public needs" such as affordable housing, which the Castilleja property would be an excellent home for! Everyone in Palo Alto will be affected, including emergency responders. The three other members requested changes but had no consensus about what needs to be changed. Plain and simple. If some people thought those speeches are unnecessary, they are probably against having the school in Palo Alto in general or else they don't understand the point of the school's proposed modernization. All rights reserved. Students from Gunn and PALY are voicing their concerns. Based on student and parent reviews of clubs and activities. The length and complexity of the approval process has not discouraged the school, Kauffman said, given the improvements in the project. When is enough enough ? With its split verdict, the board gave Castilleja a somewhat confusing message, which was made more so when Lew declined to articulate what exactly he wants the school to change (the middle of the building, he said, is a "little bit muddled"). I cant but help think that if Casti truly feels it is so important to increase the number of young women benefiting from their education, Casti would want to move to a location where they can grow and not limit this wonderful opportunity to only 540 young women. Sports Photo by Sinead Chang. Palo Alto backs e-bike ban on Baylands trails, Stanford sues Santa Clara County over tax exemptions for faculty residences, Hit-and-run driver kills man, crashes into five cars Sunday morning, Santa Clara County wants to put millions into child care, California homelessness: Where are the state's billions going? 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. of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students. Here's the new, best answer. 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. Just think about what that means. Many of the parking/traffic remediation plans are intended to reduce car use among staff, and these likely wouldn't be required if staff could actually find moderately priced housing nearby. Vandermade, a graduate of Mater Dei-Santa Ana and the . Education | Embarcadero Media file photo by Magali Gauthier. Now they propose that the building be 3 feet taller and even more massive than the previously approved design. It's inevitable. Advertising Info Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. If memory serves, that commissioner has a niece who attends Casti (she may have graduated by now) and a business relationship with the lawyer representing the school. So, anyone with the resources to outlast the opposition should prevail? "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 North Texas high school is mourning the loss of a beloved wrestling coach. Let me repeat their findings: Alternative 4, the Disbursed Circulation/ No Garage Alternative-would meet the Citys Municipal Code requirements providing 104 parking spaces, which is based on the number of teaching stations. Endorse Castilleja School. Castilleja School Photo #7 - Our multi-story athletics center includes spinning, a yoga studio, rock climbing wall, cardio room, and dance studio in addition to two full-size gymnasiums. 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 also remains true to the 5 C's - conscience, Provides auto-suggestions when entering text. The two major points were a scaled down garage and a plan to manage traffic. Whether you are a prospective student, a current parent, a colleague, or an alum, this website is designed to provide you with the news and information you need to understand who we are. - because the school WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to increase enrollment if their traffic increases, period. Why did the meeting drag on so late? Now, Castilleja has slashed the size of the garage - and in so doing is saving trees and green space, and avoiding disturbing the neighborhood with the sights and sounds of street level parking. Other duties as assigned by either the Head of School, Head of Middle School, or Director of Athletics. Related Articles 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. world. 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. She was a bold and opinionated . "It's just a pusillanimous City Council members and commissions who are allowing this to proceed as if this is good government and it's not," Deborah Goldeen said. Sponsored content After hours of discussion Monday night that lasted past midnight, the council voted 4-3 to resume the debate over basement versus garage at a later undetermined date, thus postponing a vote on the controversial expansion. A veteran teacher and administrator, Nanci has worked almost exclusively at all-girls schools. He graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in print/digital reporting and a minor in political science and German. Castilleja School Photo #9 - The Class of 2013 is all smiles at the splish-splash party! 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. Perhaps because the opposing group is such a small but very vocal minority? Help sustain the local news you depend on. Special Pubs 1310 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301. "There's a lot of breaks happening in its faade, there's a lot of void. While this would require a 14% reduction in the parking requirement, Planning Director Jonathan Lait suggested in a report that staff would be amenable to adjusting the parking requirements, given Castilleja's suite of measures that discourage driving to school. "There's a lot of breaks happening in its faade, there's a lot of void. have spent my career in girls' education, and I am proud to carry on the legacy started by Mary Lockey. Castilleja also has a lot of programs, or C, which are study blocks, or your elective, or grade meetings. Stay informed on important city government news. "But Mary Sylvester, co-founder of PNQLNow, argued at the architectural board meeting that the revised design particularly, the garage continues to clash with the surrounding context. Based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents. Become a member today. Nanci Kauffman, Castilleja's head of school, told this news of organization that the school believes its new plans "check all the boxes" when it comes to addressing concerns from residents, city . Now, a century later, Castilleja's mission expands beyond Mary Lockey's founding principle by educating young women to become compassionate leaders and global citizens. But with enough housing to reduce these insane prices (or at least slow increases), many more staff/students could live close enough to walk or bike, and there'd be far less need for parking (and fewer complaints about traffic)." Why, then, doesn't the school submit plans that comply with existing code? No one could answer the questions on managerial process. Very bad timing on this report. led us to infuse our curriculum and progams with relevant, I also attended and LOL when Alcheck made his comments about the garage; that commissioner has garage history; I think he favors them! Please include any comments on: The Harker School vs. Castilleja School Varsity Womens' Basketball. Climate change. . Obituaries It would occupy about 24,294 square feet, which is 8,186 square feet less than in the original proposal. It is absolutely appropriate to block this expansion if it does nothing for community. Originally from New York, Nanci has lived in the Bay Area since 1997. You want to educate more women to be leaders? This is AMAZING. Andie Reed, one of the group's co-founders, noted that even the revised project includes elements that residents have consistently deemed to be problematic namely, an underground garage that many believe is incompatible with the neighborhood. I remember the theoretical discussion about "if enrollment was increased to 1000 and there were no impacts or increase in traffic, would that be OK?" This time it's in the form of a planned. At one point they even tried to have it classified as a basement. ", Baltay suggested that by failing to reach a consensus, the board is "doing the applicant a disservice by not providing the applicant with a solution.". "Castilleja operates under a CUP (conditional use permit) which is a privilege and not an entitlement," Sylvester said. "We are saving more trees in the newest version and we're actually reducing our footprint," Kauffman said. And if it is accurate that Casti added the garage to the plan only b/c neighbors requested it, why not remove it now so that the modernization can begin? Mobile site. Based on the $3.7M annual funding the school allocates to this, most of that 21% group must be receiving more or less a full ride scholarship ($3.7M is enough to cover 16% of students at the full $54k each). Prior to becoming Head on July 1, 2010, Nanci has lived in the original.... Moved in to `` expand. in middle school, or C, which a... & E are they housing teachers and staff up to be leaders of teaching students how to attribute the and! Street, PALO ALTO very vocal minority study blocks, or grade meetings called C. And mobility not just for the city has really allowed this to drag on include any comments on topic... That is n't needed, is a threat to the 5 C 's - conscience, Provides auto-suggestions when text... 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