Chino Valley Unified moves adult school

By Neil Nisperos

Staff Writer

CHINO--The Chino Valley Adult School will soon operate out of larger digs at the former Anna Borba Fundamental Elementary School.

Borba is now located at the former Gird Elementary School across the street, after Gird was closed as part of budget reductions this year.

Officials and teachers at the adult school, which for more than 30 years has been located next to the Chino Valley Unified District office at 5130 Riverside Drive, have been busy preparing their new rooms at the new site, located at 12970 Third Street. The adult school is set to reopen at the new site on Jan. 4

"I'm excited about the change, as we move out from behind the district office into the community," said adult school principal Rick Landorf. "The old Anna Borba is within half a mile of here, but it's hidden behind the district office. I'm excited about getting out from behind and into the community."

The larger site comes at a time the school has seen an increase in students. Landorf said the school has seen the rise with more people realizing the need for skills to better compete in the recession-challenged job market. The school, which enrolls about 500 students, offers them the opportunity to learn English, earn a high school diploma or a GED, and earn United States citizenship. The classes are free.

"What were seeing here is a growth in the number of our students because they're realizing that not having a high school diploma is not doing it for them," Landorff said.

The original site has nine classrooms, but the new site has around 30, he said. The new adult school will also offer more services in the form of a parent resources center, a state preschool on campus, a parent library and a health clinic, which Landorf said supplements the education of district youth by providing their parents, many of whom attend the adult school, with resources.

"We're not just providing an adult school out there but we're providing the community a multitude of support on different areas," Landorf said. "I think our philosophy is getting in the community to make a change by providing as many services as possible."

About 70 percent of Chino Adult School students are Hispanic, though an increasing number are immigrants from Europe and Asia, Landorf said.

"We're seeing Middle Eastern, Asian and European groups all learning English," he said.

Cindy Wasserman is among the adult school teachers excited about the move. Wasserman said she's already gotten some experience as a teacher at the site, having taught summer school there earlier this year. Wasserman said the new site provides much more parking than the original.

"It's a beautiful school with lovely shady trees and a nice blacktop area," she said. "The parking lot is a very nice space. Parking has always been a problem at our district site."

Wasserman said there is plenty of room for growth at the new site.

"I know there's a tremendous amount of excitement and positive energy about this," Wasserman said. "It's sad that Richard Gird is closed, but I'm really happy that we have a new home to go to." 

neil.nisperos@inlandnewspapers.com

(909) 483-9356