Blair isn’t known for welcoming school ties. In fact, Blair hasn’t passed a school bond bill since 1999.
However, most of Brea’s public schools are quite old. Blair Middle School, which is 108 years old and one year older than the city, requires more renovations and renovations than the school district can afford, officials said. In addition to the middle school, many of the district’s 10 schools have lead pipes, asbestos, outdated infrastructure and lack necessary seismic requirements and campus security equipment.
Read: Nine Orange County school districts have bond measures on November ballot
So how did Measure H, the $160 million Blair School Improvement Bond, make it to the November ballot?According to Deputy Superintendent Rick Champion, the state is It says it does not provide regular funding for renovations and repairs. The district has a reserve fund for emergency or unexpected repairs and health and safety issues, but not for major renovations or major repairs.
After a survey of residents and analysis by a consultant, the Board of Education voted to include a school bond measure on the November ballot. The resident survey completed 405 interviews conducted by email, text, and phone with over 200 additional residents who sent responses through separate mailers, all of which identified local school priorities. Champion said it helped him measure it.
If approved, the bonds sold to raise money for the facility work would be repaid by adding approximately $39 per $100,000 of the property’s access value to the property tax bill each year, rather than at market value. Become.
Several residents I spoke to said they planned to vote no, but they were concerned about paying more taxes on an earlier bond measure that was still being repaid, and that at least part of the effort would be repaid. He argued that he should have worked with the department. The district now says it is required.
Some people worry that bond money won’t be used wisely, and others tell me they never vote for bonds and won’t vote this time.
Approximately 70% of the money raised from the bond sale will go toward major renovations and renovations at the middle school. It looks so pretty when you drive by, but Champion said, “It’s so beautiful. “When you stop and look under the floors, behind the walls, and above the ceilings, you really see the age of this facility and the need for modernization.”
The historic Administration Library building will be preserved and the rest of the campus will be completely renovated and parking will be added.
I recently toured the middle school with parents, former teachers, and several civic leaders. It was definitely an eye opener and it was like going back in time. It reminded me of my sister’s poodle skirt.
The school’s auditorium can only accommodate about half of the school’s 900 seventh- and eighth-graders. Two assemblies will need to be held to accommodate all students. Officials say the auditorium’s lighting and sound systems are so old that it would be impossible to update them to current standards.
One classroom looked like something out of a 1940s movie. There was also an alcove behind the teacher’s desk where they kept books, and it was very crowded. There are several mobile classrooms on campus that are over 25 years old, leak frequently, and look like they might be retired at any moment.
One of my favorite places was the cafeteria/gym where school dances were held. I asked Principal Christine Risberg where the long steel lunch tables with benches go during dances. She said they were stacked on one side of the room. Nice.
Once developed, the 1,100-unit Brea 265 project is planned to house all of the district’s sixth-graders at the middle school. Enrollment is expected to grow to 1,600 students, officials said.
Although there are several “No to H” signs around town, no arguments against the bond measure were presented on the ballot.
Will this be the year school bonds pass in Blair?
Terri Daxon is a freelance writer and owner of Daxon Marketing Communications. She gives her views on Blair issues twice a month. Please contact us at daxoncomm@gmail.com.
