Tustin : District to Build 1 School, Reopen 2

In response to growing enrollment, the Tustin Unified School District plans to reopen two schools next school year and is taking steps to build a new elementary school in Tustin Ranch.

The schools to be refurbished--C.E. Utt Middle School at 13601 Browning Ave. and Sycamore Elementary School at 12712 Elizabeth Way--were closed in 1978 because of declining enrollment. Four other schools were closed in 1982 as the enrollment continued to drop, reaching a low of 9,800 students in 1985.

But 10,585 students now attend the district’s 15 schools.

Just where the boundaries will be for Utt and Sycamore, how many children will attend them and whether they will open in the fall or later in the year is still uncertain, said Hollis Griffin, assistant superintendent for logistics.

The administration will be making a recommendation on those details in the next few months, he said. For now, the district is working to refurbish the schools.

About a month ago, crews began putting in air conditioning, ramps for the handicapped and restrooms, new gas lines, intercom phones and a fire alarm system at Sycamore, said William Teter, director of maintenance and operations.

The school board approved a $3.7-million contract for work at Utt at its meeting Monday night. Utt will receive the same improvements as Sycamore, plus work on the concrete and a relocation of offices.

The school board Monday night also discussed designating the first Tustin Ranch school site, which is expected to open in the fall of 1992 or 1993. At the request of board member Jane Bauer, the decision was postponed until July when the administration will be able to provide more detailed information about the ages and numbers of children in Tustin Ranch.

“The staff is convinced that any new information won’t change our recommendation,” said Supt. Maurice Ross.

The administration is recommending a location near Irvine Boulevard and Jamboree Road, Ross said. That site is one of five elementary school locations set aside under a 1988 agreement between the district and the Irvine Co. A middle school site and a high school site were also set aside, but most of the children moving to Tustin Ranch so far are preschool and elementary age, Ross said.

About 250 students now come from Tustin Ranch, but district officials expect more than 4,000 students eventually from the development.