District moving forward on unification plan

Angelique Flores

The Fountain Valley School District is inching closer to unification.

Last week, the school board approved a proposal for consultants to

complete a study on the feasibility of unifying with respect to the

state’s nine criteria.

Consultants also will provide an opinion on the financial statements

of the two affected school districts -- Fountain Valley and Huntington

Beach Union High School. The information will include the estimated

revenue limit of a new unified district, the division of assets and

liabilities and the shifting of deferred maintenance costs.

“We need to gather more data from state counsel, legal counsel and

information from those who have gone through it,” said Supt. Marc Ecker,

on the process dubbed Operation Lighthouse.

Last year, trustees began exploring the effects of reorganizing from a

kindergarten through eighth-grade school district to a kindergarten

through 12th-grade unified school district. More recently, the board

decided to move forward with unification along district boundaries, which

would mean taking in the Fountain Valley and Valley Vista high schools

from the Huntington Beach Union High School District, because it appears

to be a more fiscally sound proposal.Ecker has already met with the

superintendents of Covina Valley and Tracey unified school districts,

which have been involved with unification efforts.

District officials also will meet with legal counsel to review the

state guidelines.

The board will meet for a study session this month, and the

consultants’ report is expected to come back in May. After more

information is gathered, Ecker plans to develop a specific plan of action

for the board to approve. This final plan for district unification is

expected to be ready for approval by May 10.

“I think we’re heading in the right direction, with a good time line,”

trustee Judy Edwards said.

According to the tentative time line, the board is scheduled to

initiate a unification petition June 14.