CA Senate Passes Bill To Help New Fremont Elementary School

From the California State Senate: The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 178, authored by Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) this morning to allow for the development of a much-needed elementary school near downtown Fremont to help address school overcrowding issues in the Fremont Unified School District (FUSD).

The bill expedites the transfer of undeveloped parkland at Centerville Community Park from the City of Fremont to the FUSD. The bill will also help lead to a new joint use park on the remaining portion of the property and another new park a few miles away on Dusterberry Way and Peralta Boulevard.

“A new campus is needed to relieve some of the severe overcrowding occurring in our schools,” said Wieckowski. “You can only jam so many portables onto a site. Other nearby schools cannot handle the expected increase in students. This will improve the classroom experience for students. By building a joint-use park and the additional park at Dusterberry, residents will also benefit from expanded recreational opportunities in the area.”

Fremont Mayor Lily Mei and FUSD Superintendent James Morris testified in support of SB 178 at the committee hearing.

“SB 178 provides a win-win-win solution for Fremont,” Superintendent Morris said. “It’s a win for students because it will help the district build a new elementary school. The community wins because it adds additional neighborhood parkland. The city wins because high-performing schools and community parks promote economic development. Senator Wieckowski has been a champion of local efforts to locate schools and parks in neighborhoods where families live. This encourages students to walk and ride to school and reduces traffic.”

Senator Wieckowski represents the 10th Senate District, which includes southern Alameda County and parts of Santa Clara County.

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