Arts school considers Newport-Mesa

Jessica Garrison

NEWPORT-MESA -- The nationally recognized Orange County High School of

the Arts, which is being forced to leave its Los Alamitos campus, may be

moving to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

“It’s definitely on top of the list,” Ralph Opacic, principal of the High

School of the Arts, said of the possible move to Newport-Mesa.

Opacic, who said the move could take place as soon as next fall, added

that his 500-student school is also considering sites in Santa Ana.

The 12-year-old school, which last year was one of only eight schools

nationwide recognized for arts education by the National Endowment for

the Arts, must leave its current location because of a conflict between

the city of Los Alamitos and the Los Alamitos Unified School District.

Opacic, the school’s founder, also said he is seeking a more central

location in Orange County because the school serves as an arts magnet for

students throughout the county.

Newport-Mesa officials said they would be delighted if the school were to

come to the district, but that no formal negotiations had begun.

“We are aware that they [are interested],” said Supt. Robert Barbot. “We

have had dialogue ... We are interested.”

Newport-Mesa officials declined to say where within the district the arts

school might be located.

Barbot said district officials have been researching ways to improve arts

education for Newport-Mesa students, and that bringing the nationally

recognized school to the district would be one way, among others, to

accomplish that.

“We are going to develop a quality plan for our kids, no matter what,”

Barbot said.

The Orange County High School of the Arts has sent its alumni onto

Broadway stages, Hollywood sound studios and countless dance stages and

orchestra pits around the country.

It specializes in dance, music, theater, instrumental music, production

and design, video, television, drawing, painting, ceramics and jewelry.

The school’s funding is provided by both the state and a nonprofit

foundation that raises approximately $700,000 annually, and is

administered by a board of directors.

Although its board of directors wants the school to eventually have its

own arts complex and an administration independent of any school

district, the foundation will not have enough money to do that by next

fall, Opacic said. Therefore, a new site is needed.

“The bottom line is, if they have to move, wouldn’t it be great if they

looked at Newport-Mesa rather than Santa Ana?” said Newport-Mesa school

board member Martha Fluor.