Hart Board makes final decision.

The next few classes of incoming high school freshmen who happen to live in Castaic now know where they’ll be headed. The William S. Hart School Board voted to send all freshmen to Valencia High starting in the fall of 2011, until a date in which the new high school in Castaic is built and opened.

This means that all freshman who had originally been assigned to West Ranch for the start of the 2010 school year will still go to that school. Starting in 2011, however, all Castaic freshmen will venture to Valencia High.

In 2007, the District decided to send 2008 and 2009 freshmen classes to Valencia, and send the 2010 and 2011 classes to West Ranch. Cutting their plan short one year, the District plans to keep all Castaic freshmen from 2011 forward at Valencia High until a new high school is built in Castaic.

The District hopes to have the new school finished in time for the 2013 school year, but so far the District hasn’t picked which of two sites they will pursue for a new high school, so any timelines may be premature at this time.

Valencia is generally better equipped to house the additional student population; the school has several portable buildings and the District says that they can accommodate the 3048 students they expect to see in 2011/2012.

West Ranch is a newer school and does not have the additional buildings needed.

The move may also help ease some complaints from parents, who didn’t want Castaic-area students split across two high schools.