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Rebuttal

Kudos and credits to the parents and financial supporters, both

individuals and corporate giants, who helped to see that Sage Hill School

became a reality for our coastal community this school year.

The Daily Pilot’s article on Sage Hill (“School bell set to ring at

Sage Hill,” Sept. 4) could be viewed as a catalyst in [widening] the gap

between public education and private education. Or it could lead to

positive reflection by private school supporters and those of us who

believe in the essence of public education and what it offers.

There were plenty of lines devoted to the glitz of Sage Hill versus

the drab of public schools in the Newport-Mesa school district, including

mention of pristine classrooms versus buckled sidewalks and leaky

classrooms; new books in spotless lockers versus graffiti-laden public

school lockers; small class sizes and personal instruction versus the

[perception of] overcrowded conditions with public school teachers not

being able to give one-on-one instruction; Sage Hill’s dedication to

community service during block summer days versus daily hours of

community service at times prescribed by public education; and so on.

Plus, Sage Hill comes with a tab of $30 million and growing versus our

public schools having to go to the voters to raise $163 million [$110

million locally and $53 million in state matching funds] for needed

repairs at 25-plus schools.

Needless to say, there was a lot to create a gap and possible

resentment or envy. But, in reality, Sage Hill is perfect for our

community and a needed asset.

Sage Hill is nothing more than a graduation of the benefits of private

school education enjoyed by many families who select this option. Harbor

Day School in Newport Beach is the first step for many on this course to

Sage Hill, as is Carden Hall and other private schools.

Having enjoyed wonderful early years at Harbor Day School with two of

our children and then finally moving all four to public schools gave my

wife and I a good dose of both. Financially, we could never afford four

kids’ tuition at Harbor Day School, and Sage Hill’s $14,000 tuition would

never be doable with four kids, let alone one. But for many in our

community, these tabs are light and the option ... is there for the

taking.

Sage Hill is a classic motivational tool for public school supporters

to rally. My wife and I, after long deliberations, now support the bond

passed by fellow voters. We believe in public education for many of the

opposite reasons cited by one Sage Hills parent.

Eventually, Sage Hill students and public school students will meet in

college, which will cause the very differently educated students to share

their experiences. Sage Hill kids will have a bit more depth on general

subjects of knowledge, while public school kids will have far more

experience in life struggles.

In CIF-sanctioned athletics, Sage Hill kids will be able to invite

their public school friends to visit and train on pristine athletic

fields with the best of the best equipment available while public school

kids will forever invite their Sage Hill athletic friends to Friday and

Saturday night games at Davidson Field for Newport Harbor and Corona del

Mar.

Parents have a duty to set a general course for their family and their

kids’ future. Sage Hill parents are, without a single doubt, setting

their kids on a course for the finest in education. Sage Hill’s parents

are giving their children the safest of all environs. which public

schools cannot match because of campus designs and quite simply because

of the number of cultures than inherently and unfortunately clash in

public places.

Sage Hill parents and kids will enjoy a trouble-free education

atmosphere, with teachers having more authority, greater leeway in

setting curriculum and better compensation. Sage Hill parents will pay

for these benefits because they can.

Sage Hill parents will continue to share their wealth with all of us

because they are a part of our tax system, school bond family and remain

a serious block of voters who do not miss a chance to vote for our

elected leaders and laws. This is good.

Public school parents and kids share equally in the giving of assets.

Public school kids will receive their basic education and have a great

opportunity from self-motivation, a personal asset that will come in

handy in the future.

Athletically, of which this family places equal weight to that of

scholastics, Newport-Mesa students will far exceed Sage Hill’s players

because the school is no Mater Dei High or Santa Margarita High. Sage

Hill has no religious pillars; instead a hybrid of public education with

a big tab and value-laden bill of learning. Mater Dei and Santa Margarita

excel in sports because of their religious span to all cultures, income

levels and recruiting prowess.

The public school parent who sets a course of athletics for their kids

will face with Sage Hill’s parents a dilemma at some point: either go

with a winner such as Newport Harbor in football, for example, or make

the trek to Mater Dei or Santa Margarita to give their child what is

perceived to be higher rung of athletic learning. This is where Sage

Hill parents and public school parents do mirror each other.

We, as a family, face this issue in less than a year and remain

thankful that Sage Hill, Mater Dei and Santa Margarita have viable

competition from public schools, such as Newport Harbor in education,

sports and cultural blending. But if we were to win the lottery, the

choice for our sports- and scholastic-driven children would still remain

with public schools.

It is a blessing that Sage Hill kids and public school kids will unite

in the future. Choice breeds new thought. Experiences from Sage Hill’s

financial elite will be a gift to those with less financial power, just

as our public school kids will lend a great deal of human wealth to their

Sage Hill brothers and sisters in future decades.

BRIAN THERIOT

Costa Mesa

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