Not a zero sum game
I had written a response to Sam Naujokas letter “Death of a small town” thinking that Mr. Naujokas was an older man who had grown up in Healdsburg. When I found out that Sam is a 15 year old high school student I was a little stunned. First of all I would like to say that Sam is an excellent writer way beyond his years. If all fifteen-year olds could write like this we wouldn’t be having the debates about how schools are failing our students. That said, since Sam entered this debate about Healdsburg’s future growth writing and thinking like an adult he deserves an adult response.
Less is more
For some members of the Healdsburg community who took pride in Healdsburg being a big school district, enrollment decline may seem unfavorable. However, the research over the last 30 years on school size has demonstrated over and over that less is more. HUSD’s current enrollment of 1,850 students is an advantage, not just because there is more money per student but also because of the more intimate, personalized learning environment it creates. Our students are not just a number, but individuals with strengths, talents and challenges.
