School Expansion Proposal Draws Fire : Santa Ana District Holds Hearing on Acquiring 11 Construction Sites

About 250 people jammed McFadden Intermediate School in Santa Ana Tuesday night, most of them to vent displeasure over the school district’s plan to spend about $40 million acquiring property for 11 new elementary schools and expansion of Santa Ana High School.

Robert Duran, whose family lives in a 6th Street house being considered for one of the sites, said he found it difficult to calm his parents when a district letter arrived announcing the impending acquisition.

Pounding his fist on a table, Duran said the letter gave little information and left the family believing that their home was “being robbed from them.”

Influx of Latino Residents

The acquisitions have been proposed because the school district has experienced overcrowding unprecedented in Orange County--much of it, district officials say, because of an influx of Latino residents.

In 1984-85, total enrollment was 34,611 students. That swelled to 36,248 this year and is projected at 37,648 next year. By 1996-97, district officials expect 57,597 students.

The Santa Ana City Council is to blame for the problems, charged Susan Tully, who lives in the city but said she will not be affected by the district’s moves to acquire property.

Over the years, Tully said, the council has allowed too many developers to construct large apartment complexes without paying fees for school construction, she said.

Tully called for a moratorium on such projects, saying that no “high-density apartment units should be built until these problems have been solved.”

She also cited the City Council’s decision Monday night to ask President Reagan to halt INS sweeps downtown, asserting that undocumented residents make up 25% to 30% of the district’s enrollment and place an unfair burden on the system.

But some residents said they could live with the plan. David Marquez said he is willing to begin negotiations for his home.

“Much as I hate to lose my property, I see the importance of having a space to teach the children.” he said. “We just want a fair price so we can have the same standard of living we had before.”

Between 160 and 180 parcels are being considered for the new schools, and the district hopes to complete two appraisals on each lot in six to eight weeks, said Dilip Anketell, facilities director for the Santa Ana Unified School District.

“If all goes well, we’ll be looking at acquisition probably sometime around the end of 1987,” Anketell said.

The 11 sites being considered are:

- Five acres in the 1800 block of South Bristol Street.

- Five acres between Birch Street and Broadway.

- Five acres at Cubbon and Hesperian streets.

- Five acres at Lacy and Brown streets.

- Five acres on Walnut Street, east of Santa Ana High School.

- Four acres at 5th and Hesperian streets.

- Six acres at Grand and McFadden avenues.

- Six acres at Bishop Street and Standard Avenue.

- Ten acres at Alton Avenue and Raitt Street.

- Six acres in the 900 block of West Richland Street.

- Five acres at Golden West and Wilshire avenues.

Anketell said the district is willing to negotiate a fair market price for each piece of property needed and will pay each homeowner up to $15,000 in relocation fees. Renters will receive up to $4,000 in relocation expenses, and homeowners renting their property will get an additional amount.

Initial Reaction Negative

Initial community reaction to the plan has been negative, Anketell said, but he blamed much of that on some “disinformation” in the community. For example, several callers said they had heard that the state would be willing to pay a maximum of $40,000 per home, he said.

If necessary, the district would resort to condemnation to obtain a piece of property, but Anketell stressed that such a move would be considered only as a last resort.

Some negative reaction is inevitable, he said, adding that it’s understandable that some people who have lived in the area as long as 30 years and have retired wouldn’t want to move.