Letter to Editor: Letter to SSFUSD Regarding school baseball fields

South San Francisco, CA   April 26, 2018  Submitted by Cindy Alger

South San Francisco Unified School District

398 B Street

South San Francisco, CA  94080

Attn:      Dr. Shawnterra Moore

Reference:    SSF, ECHS and other school Softball/Baseball Fields

Dear Dr. Moore,

It is SSF communities concern that SSFUSD is renting out the fields at SSF High and El Camino High to other cities, which is depriving our students from using them. and consequently, our high school children are forced to practice and play on other fields. This makes no sense. Why aren’t the high school students playing on their newly renovated fields? These fields are maintained by the SSF community, and our children are entitled to play on them. This is now creating a problem with the little leagues not having fields to practice and play on.

I am hereby submitting a Public Record Request for the following information:

–       rental agreements for fields at El Camino and SSF High Schools

–       maintenance invoices

–       payment records to our District regarding these fields

–       information on all contracts, specifically when they were signed and the contract term period

–       minutes of meetings wherein contracts were presented, discussed, voted on and/or signed

–       what the rental proceeds are being used for

–       schedules of the other cities’ reserved practice times at our fields.

Was a finder’s fee paid to anyone at the SSFUSD?

The community would also like information on the condition of the other schools’ fields.

(a)   El Camino girls’ softball practice at Sunshine Gardens and play games at Terra Bay.

(b)   El Camino boys have a field that cannot be used by anyone else.

(c)   El Camino High Schools turf fields closed on weekends, no public access.

(d)   South City boys practice at Orange Park.

(e)   South City girls’ softball practice at Ponderosa. SC girls practice for 3+hours even though CCS limits practices to 2 hours, denying the leagues’ access to Ponderosa field both weekdays and weekends.

(f)    South City High School has no public access on weekends.

(g)   Alta Loma Middle School was renovated and was intended for use by 9-, 10-, 11- and 12-yr olds

as a condition of the Westborough lease agreement to SH in lieu of permit costs.

(h)   Alta Loma Middle School field is closed on weekends and has no public access.

(i)     Paradise Valley is poorly maintained by both School District and Parks & Recreation.

(j)     South Wood (Baden High) lower field is full of pot holes with is not maintained.

(k)   Hillside school is only open for softball.

(l)     Lower Sunshine Gardens has not been maintained in years.

(m)  Fox Ridge School is no longer maintained.

(n)   Buri Buri Elementary School no longer has a field.

(o)   Serra Vista is no longer maintained.

(p)   Serra Vista would have room for 2 baseball/softball fields.

Both the leasing out of the high school fields and the conditions of the other fields are not satisfactory, nor fair, to the families of South San Francisco. I have attached signature sheets of SSF residents who support this letter, this community and its continued growth.

We respectfully request a reply to this letter in15 days, hopefully to include an agenda for returning the fields to our high school players, as well as an agenda for the District funds allocated for our fields. I am sending a courtesy copy of this letter to the City Manager of SSF, making them aware of this situation since SSFUSD has ongoing discussions with the City regarding funding for school fields.

Regards,

(See Attachments 341 Community signatures supporting this letter}

Cindy Alger