FULLERTON : School District Seeks Maintenance Funds

The Fullerton School District Board of Trustees will meet Jan. 30 to look for ways to pay for a $4-million backlog of school maintenance needs.

Possible discussions will include leasing the Brookhurst Street side of Orangethorpe Elementary School to a commercial venture, and a district bond measure, said William Moore, the district’s assistant superintendent of business services.

The district has 14 buildings that are more than 30 years old and need renovations, new carpeting, blackboards, plumbing and other improvements, Moore said.

“I think we’ve done a good job of maintaining our facilities,” he said. “But every year, they get older.”

Leasing a strip of school property along Brookhurst would bring regular lease income to the district that could be used for building maintenance, Moore said.

If the board decides to go ahead with a possible commercial project at the school, two or three of the buildings would have to be rebuilt on the eastern portion of the campus, he said. The school is near the southeast corner of Brookhurst Street and Orangethorpe Avenue.

Earlier, district officials asked the school board to look into leasing portions of several district schools and buildings, including the district office. Since board members hesitated to begin such a large project, Moore said he thinks it would be best to try one project first.

The Jan. 30 meeting, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., will look for ways to fund upgrading of all buildings and equipment, he said. Although a bond measure is “always a possibility,” bond measures historically are unpopular with voters, he said.