State Clears Use of School Sale Funds by West Covina District

The financially troubled West Covina Unified School District this week received state approval to use proceeds from the sale of two schools to make critical repairs and help retire a $3.3-million debt to the state.

District officials said the approval will allow the district to use $11.5 million in expected proceeds from the sale of Tonopah and El Dorado elementary schools to shore up the district’s budget for years to come. Ordinarily, school sale funds must be used to retire construction bonds and capital improvement debts.

The State Allocations Board, a seven-member body of legislators and government department heads, unanimously approved the district’s waiver request.

$750,000 in Roof Repairs

The district will receive a $1.6-million installment from the sale of El Dorado, due in February. Part of that will be used to fund $750,000 in roof repairs, painting and other improvements that school officials say are long overdue.

The district also may receive a $660,000 payment on the Tonopah sale later in the year, but that most likely will be carried over to the next school year.

Supt. Jane D. Gawronski said that without the waiver, the district would not be able to do the repairs that include fixing extensive water damage at West Covina High School and other campuses.

“Now we can get started on the repairs and not have to worry about making other cuts,” she said.

School Closures

As a cost-cutting measure, the district plans to make West Covina High School the district’s sole high school next year, turning Edgewood High School into a middle school and closing two junior highs and one elementary school.

In addition to the repairs, the district has a $982,505 installment due on a $3.3-million state loan which saved it from bankruptcy. Earlier, the district persuaded state schools chief Bill Honig to reduce the first-year payment from $1.5 million to the lower amount.

H.C. Tanner, assistant superintendent for business services, said proceeds from the school sales will be put into a special reserve account which will earn interest and help fund $7 million in deferred maintenance.