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Parents, students and teachers urge Poway Unified to preserve Design 39 makerspaces and reconsider recent transfers
Summary
Dozens of parents, students and educators told the Poway Unified School District board the proposed conversion of Design 39 campus makerspaces into regular classrooms risks the school’s signature instructional model, and they urged greater transparency after a $148,720 contract was approved without site notice. Commenters also pressed the district to review recent interdistrict transfers that they say are shifting special‑education placements and funding.
Dozens of parents, students and staff addressed the Poway Unified School District board during public comment, urging the board to halt plans that would convert Design 39 campus “makers” and collaboration spaces into standard classrooms.
“Taking these spaces away would widely impact our school and take away our ability to be the creative designers we’re known to be,” said Hargan Gaur Khurana, a seventh‑grader at Design 39. Parents and alumni described makerspaces as central to the school’s design‑focused curriculum and said removing them would change the school’s identity and students’ learning opportunities.
Gurpreet Singh, a Design 39 parent who said he led a petition with more than 600 family signatures, told trustees that the community appreciates a recent district pause but remains concerned about process, transparency and trust. “We generally appreciate that,” he said, “but many parent concerns still remain.”
Speakers also flagged a facilities contract—identified in the public record as $148,720—that was approved through a consent calendar item and only communicated to families days later. Candice Johnson said the contract label lacked clear public notice and argued the board may have bypassed stakeholder engagement. "A generic label like 'contractual services' does not provide clear notice," she said, and asked whether the board would invoke a formal cure and correct review under Government Code 54960.1.
Meadowbrook teachers and parents testified about a surge of approved interdistrict transfers (IDTs) that they say are increasing the share of students with IEPs at certain campuses, degrading co‑teaching support and moving funding away from neighborhoods. "With class sizes like this, I'm struggling to provide the personalized, rich and rigorous learning experiences my students deserve," said Corey Chapman, a Meadowbrook teacher. Several educators said co‑teaching ratios at some sites approach 50 percent IEP enrollment — well above the roughly one‑third threshold they described as workable.
District staff and trustees acknowledged the depth of community concern; facilities and planning staff said Design 39 changes were being paused for further engagement and that they would provide more information about funding sources and alternatives. Trustee comment emphasized a need for a district‑wide capacity and boundary review before site‑level conversions proceed.
No action was taken during public comment. The board did not vote to rescind any approvals at the meeting; speakers asked staff and trustees to return to the community with a transparent review and with evidence showing alternative options and fiscal commitments.
What’s next: Trustees directed staff to continue outreach and provide more detailed project and funding information in upcoming sessions so the board can consider whether proposed site changes align with educational specifications and public expectations.
