The Orange County School Board has decided to stick with a decade-old construction priority list until it’s finished – even if that means putting off schools that have more dire needs.
In 2002, voters approved a half-penny sales tax tied to a list of about 130 schools that were expected to be renovated with the proceeds. But after the economy tanked, the tax started to bring in less money. Coupled with some inefficient practices and spending, the district fell behind on the list.
The district construction department expects to finish fewer than 100 of the schools on the original list before the tax money runs out. The district now anticipates the tax will bring in about $2 billion by the time it is set to sunset in 2015, down from the $2.7 billion anticipated 10 years ago.
So far, the board has stuck closely to the list, with only minor changes.
They extended that loyalty to the list earlier this month by vowing to stick with it, even if that means schools in worse shape have to wait.
”Some of our schools that have been waiting patiently could be pushed back further,” said board member Daryl Flynn during a meeting on the topic. “I can anticipate a little bit of a dog fight on this.”
Board member Board member Joie Cadle said the schools that are in the worst shape should be fixed first. “Some of the schools that were, in my opinion, in the worst shape {in 2002} are still waiting because they were in areas with declining enrollment or more stable neighborhoods,” she said. ”There going to be some angst no matter what we decide to do.”
But despite that, she didn’t want to change the current list, either. “Nobody trumps the schools that are on that list,” she said.
Board chair Bill Sublette said that, moving forward, he’d like to see the district plan relief schools as part of the same capital plan, as opposed to funding relief schools out of different pools of money, as is done now. District officials confirmed that there is not enough money to meet all of the district’s expansion needs.
Ultimately, the board agreed to assess all of its older schools. An outside firm, Jacobs, will be paid $858,000 to work with district staff in completing the buildings study. However, only schools beyond the 2002 list would be ranked for replacement based on building condition, technology, overcrowding and growth potential, among other factors.
The facility needs assessment that is completed will likely shape the district’s construction plans for years, even in the case of renewal of the half-penny sales tax.
