Speaking Out on Orange County Elections : Proposed Merger of School Districts
On Oct. 30, The Times published three letters opposing the proposed merger of the Placentia Unified and Yorba Linda school districts.
One writer contended that the “financial picture looks pretty grim” for the Placentia Unified School District. To the contrary, Placentia Unified is in a very sound financial position with reserves of more than $5 million. In addition, the district has projected the receipt of more than $35 million in developer fees and redevelopment funds over the next 5 years for planned school construction, improvement and expansion.
The key issue of the proposed merger is educational opportunity for the children of our joint community. Approval of Measure B in the Placentia district and Measure C in the Yorba Linda district will bring additional state funding of $2.9 million yearly to our schools and improve administrative efficiency. This funding will provide additional programs for students and make teacher salaries more competitive. The merger will not increase property taxes for any resident, close any school or change any school boundary.
Inaccurate information confuses the issue. We must focus on the facts and the true objective of the proposed merger: improved education for the children of our joint community.
GUY R. EHRICH
President
Board of Education
Placentia Unified School District
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