School board continues bond study

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- Voters are one step closer to facing a $110-million

school bond.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s Board of Education has one

more study session before it is scheduled to vote on getting the bond

rolling.

“We’re actually getting close,” said school board president Dana Black.

“As a matter of fact, we’re starting to make decisions, but we still have

a lot ahead of us.”

The school board held a four-hour study session Tuesday to discuss how

the district will fund much-needed school repairs. Residents welcomed the

opportunity to comment on the possible bond measure.

Costa Mesa resident Martie O’Meara said she had visited several schools

in the district this week to determine for herself if a bond was

necessary. After examining Adams, Victoria and Eastbluff elementary

schools, O’Meara said she thought the campuses clearly needed repairs.

But she added that district officials should thoroughly review proposed

repairs and estimated costs before making a final decision on a bond.

“I’d like to have you look at those [schools] more carefully,” O’Meara

told the board.

Richard Mann, another Costa Mesa resident, agreed with O’Meara, saying

maybe some repairs could be postponed.

Mann compared using a bond to fund school repairs to selling a car to

repair a home.

School board member David Brooks said he agreed with the sentiment, but

was convinced a bond is the best plan for the district.

“This district has a nasty habit of postponing things,” Brooks said.

“We’ve also learned that it costs more to do things in stages.”

Another set of comments from residents took the discussion in a different

direction.

Some people asked district officials to consider repairing the Mesa Verde

site so it could be used as a charter school.

Assistant Supt. Mike Fine said there is not enough time to conduct an

extensive study to find the repairs needed at Mesa Verde.

“I don’t think we’re under any illusion that we want the district to put

together a slapdash assessment,” said Byron de Arakal, an advocate of the

charter school. “I just think it’s unfortunate that it was left out of

the whole process.”

Whether a charter school is approved for that site or not, de Arakal

said he feels the district is being shortsighted by not repairing it.

“At some point they are going to need another elementary school, whether

they think they are going to need it or not,” he said. “We’ve got to

figure out a way to keep that site viable for either a charter school or

a future elementary school site because kids are just crammed into

classrooms.”

He and other charter school advocates support the idea of using bond

money to repair the district’s aging schools, de Arakal said.

“The bond has got to happen,” he said. “We’re just going to have to drink

a few less lattes and take a few less ski trips.”

Board members said they will think about the residents’ comments and

study the information from the district’s bond lawyers and consultants.

District officials will prepare a sample resolution and ballot initiative

for the board to review prior to the Feb. 29 meeting.

The final study session will be at 6 p.m. Feb. 22 at the District

Education Center.

“We’ve pulled together a good team,” Black said. “I just want it done.”