A sensible plan for new facilities

By Mary L. Holzhauer

Improvements and modernization planned using Measure A funds should be completed. New elementary schools are needed, with top priority to a school in the east valley.

A new school in the west valley, where there are only about 170 children, is less important. Coupled with the loss of 60 spaces at Summerland School, it would reduce overcrowding by only 100 students. The current site selected for the west valley would take almost 20 acres of prime agricultural land out of production, too high a price. Alternate sites exist and should be pursued. Summerland would like to keep its school and can offer a 6 acre site for expansion.

With the expansion of middle school, the current old stadium will be lost. A new stadium at the high school is proposed, to be financed partially with funds from Measure A, the rest to be raised privately. This is not what the voters expected when they voted for the bond issue. I suggest either raising all the money from the community or putting a new bond issue on the ballot so the voters can decide if they want to finance the stadium. In the interim perhaps the District would "borrow" a stadium from one of the other area high schools for home games.