EDITORIAL

* EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the last in a two-part editorial series on

the need for a bond issue to fix Newport-Mesa’s crumbling schools.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s reputation has taken a beating

during the 1990s. The brutal recession, arrogant leadership, a

spectacular embezzlement, bad investments, underpaid teachers and the

county’s bankruptcy have undermined public confidence and dropped the

school district from one of the nation’s leader to the middle of the pack

in Orange County.

And this will be one of the toughest challenges of getting a bond

measure passed in Newport-Mesa: Do homeowners trust the district enough

to give it extra money to fix the schools?

The school board will be deciding in the next two months whether to

put a bond measure on the ballot. The measure will need a two-thirds

majority to pass.

There are two key points. First, school leaders have done a

commendable job of turning around the district in the past few years.

You’d have to give them A’s in every area.

Teacher salaries have been boosted. Class sizes reduced. A number of

citizens’ committees have been formed and listened to. The school board

is approachable and responsive. New academic standards -- and testing --

are in place. And relatively new Supt. Robert Barbot is just what the

district ordered -- a first-rate administrator and human being.

Newport-Mesa’s sins of the past -- which generated quite a bit of

anger in the community -- need to be forgiven, especially in light of its

recent performance.

Which bring us to the second point: this quiet educational revival has

been taking place in crumbling institutions. It’s so bad that at Ensign

Intermediate, it will be cheaper to bulldoze the school than repair it.

When you have come to the point where tearing down schools is the best

option, you know you are in serious trouble.

Part of our duty as a community is to provide a good education for our

kids. For those who don’t connect facilities with a good education,

consider these questions: Is it right to let students’ shiver in

classrooms because there is no heat during the winter? Is it OK to allow

girls to get bladder infections because the bathrooms are so disgusting

that they avoid them all day long? Is it acceptable for wiring in schools

to be so outdated that it can’t accommodate a fan, much less computers?

If you’re still angry at the school district or if you don’t have

young kids and don’t care about the schools, let’s conclude on a selfish

note: you still should support a bond measure. Studies show that top

school districts add up to $15,000 for every $100,000 your home is worth.

In other words, it’s simply a good investment.

To review: The school district needs more than $150 million to repair

its aging infrastructure. The trustees have spent years trying to find

the money, but it just isn’t there. A bond issue is the only viable

alternative.

The school district in recent years has worked hard to regain the

respect of the community. And now it’s time for the community to come to

the aid of the schools.

The school system is a central part of a well-functioning community.

That part of us needs fixing. There is no other choice.