State aid sought for school hall project

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District is seeking state funds to help cover the cost of replacing Robins Hall, the landmark building at Newport Harbor High School that is set to be demolished this summer.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the school board voted unanimously to apply to the state Office of Public School Construction for assistance in paying for the project.

Robins Hall, whose clock tower is the school’s most famous landmark, closed in 2003 due to seismic concerns and is scheduled to be replaced under the $282-million Measure F school bond.

The trustees voted to apply for up to 50% of the construction cost under the state’s Facility Hardship Funding program, which helps build new structures at schools that lack adequate capacity to house students.

Deputy Supt. Paul Reed said the state would likely contribute less than half of the cost, but he added that any outside contribution would free up funds for other Measure F projects.

“We made very clear in our campaign that we were going to go after state money, and if we can, that moves other Measure F projects up in the process,” he said.

The district applied for Facility Hardship Funding three years ago but was unsuccessful, Reed said.

This time, he said, the district submitted a more forceful letter from the Division of the State Architect describing the safety risks at Robins Hall.

Kathy Hicks, chief of program services for the Office of Public School Construction, said her office determined the amount to give schools based on either square footage or the number of students enrolled.

If the state provided a grant, she said, the district had to put up an equal or greater amount of money to cover the project.