Tuesday, March 10, 2015


Foothills Sentry


Page 3


School board revisits Measure K results, hopes for a better ending next time


By Tina Richards In response to public demand for


a discussion of the OUSD Board’s plans for school upgrades follow- ing the loss of Measure K, trustees held a study session to analyze fac- tors behind the bond’s loss. The Feb. 26 session, held prior


to the board’s regularly scheduled meeting, was anticipated to be a robust interchange of ideas, with trustees and members of the pub- lic offering their thoughts on so- lutions to the district’s budgetary woes that have overriden the need to upgrade aging school facilities. The meeting agenda, however, was limited to an “in-depth analy- sis of polling and election results and projections of the likely out- come of a 2016 bond measure.” An audience of about 20 peo-


ple heard little from board mem- bers, but was given a detailed


VP seniors can


now get around The City of Villa Park has part-


nered with OCTA and California Yellow Cab to offer a senior mo- bility program to residents. Mayor Diana Fascenelli began


discussing this benefit last year, after learning of several residents who could not drive to the Town Center to do their grocery shop- ping, or even have a cup of coffee. Grant funds provided by OCTA


have allowed the city to offer a transportation option to senior residents. The program is free for VP seniors 60 years and older. For more information please call city hall at (714) 998-1500.


breakdown of Measure K voters by city, party affiliation, vot- ing method (absentee vs. polling place) and age. Measure K’s fail- ure was pinned on low voter turn- out, a Republican majority and older voters with no desire to take on more taxes. Neither the mer- its of the 2014 bond nor a similar measure that failed in 2004 were addressed. The polling statis- tics indicate that the higher voter turnout expected for the 2016 presidential election might bode better for another bond.


Bond in a box Which was all several trustees


needed to hear to embrace anoth- er bond measure and forego any discussion of funding alternatives for school modernization. “I’ll support a 2016 bond for the high


schools,” Tim Surridge said. “But one bond won’t get it done. We’ll have to follow up with bonds for intermediate and elementary schools.” There was a brief discussion


about creating separate facility im- provement districts, wherein vot- ers would be asked to approve a bond for their local high school only. That way, for example, El Modena High would not be depen- dent on voters in Villa Park; Or- ange High would not be dependent on Anaheim Hills. The advantage of separating a bond vote is that, based on last November’s returns, some schools would benefit. The downside is the divisiveness it could create within the district. Howard Kirschner, a persistent


board meeting attendee who has been asking the board for a pub-


Orange High, Chapman and Simon Foundations cooperate


Orange High School, Chapman


University and the Simon Foun- dations have partnered to create the Simon STEM scholarship program, a unique opportunity for selected Orange High School sophomore students who major in science, technology, engineering and math to receive full scholar- ships. Each year four OHS students


will be selected for the schol- arship program, based on their grade point average and desire to pursue a career in a STEM discipline. During their junior and senior year of high school,


these students will receive a computer, college-level research experience, academic support, and opportunities to participate in community service activities and other programs, designed to prepare them for success in col- lege and beyond. Following the successful completion of high school, the Simon STEM schol- ars will receive a full scholarship to Chapman University, inclusive of tuition and housing. Students who elect to attend a university other than Chapman may be eli- gible for $16,000 in tuition for STEM-based studies.


lic discussion since last Decem- ber, disagreed with the separate- bonds-for-separate-schools idea. “This is Orange Unified,” he said. “The last thing to do is divide the community.”


History will repeat Kirschner also cautioned the


board against relying on statistics for the next bond measure. “You need a process to identify what you want to do, then let the public know the plan. We want details, not architectural drawings that will change. Figure out what you want to do, get public input, and then sell it.”


Additional public commenters


drove home the board’s discon- nect with its constituents. “Your communication with the public has to improve,” one speaker said. “I urge you to communicate facts to the public, starting now; don’t wait until it becomes a po- litical campaign.” “People didn’t trust this board,”


said another. “You have to show people that you care.” “There is a possibility of bor-


rowing money to get things go- ing,” Board President John Orte- ga mused. “Then go back to the public after we demonstrate we can work together.”


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