No Decision Reached on County Section, Public Schools Consultant Says

Consultant Barbara Wilson, representing Orange County’s public high school districts, told the Southern Section general council Thursday that no decision has been reached about forming an Orange County Section in the California Interscholastic Federation.

Wilson presented the results of a 90-page feasibility study and a survey of the county’s public high school superintendents to representatives of each Southern Section league.

“There is simply a commitment to move ahead this time,” Wilson said. “Authorization has been given to form committees and study the areas of governance, budget and feasibility of a section in Orange County.”

The athletic programs of the county’s 72 high schools compete in the Southern Section, which covers nearly one-third of the state. Wilson said the next move would be to report to the State Federated Council’s relations committee next month.

“The county superintendents are looking at what’s best for Orange County schools without being harmful to other areas,” she said. “They’re moving ahead cautiously.”

Wilson said she has received several requests from administrators to serve on committees, adding she would ensure that representatives from the parochial and private schools would be included on each.

Other council agenda:

* Representatives approved a football game that would match its Division I champion against the top-ranked team from the City Section. This year’s game is scheduled Dec. 20 at Cerritos College.

The game, proposed by television station KCOP (13), is expected to receive final approval by the State Federated Council next month.

Television rights would be $50,000 for the first game and escalate to $65,000 in 1992, $80,000 in 1993 and $100,000 in 1994 and 1995 under a five-year contract. The sections would split all gate, concession and parking receipts.

“This is the highest sum of money ever offered for a high school event,” Southern Section Commissioner Stan Thomas said. “In a time of dwindling corporate support and advertising dollars, this could help eliminate any dues increase.”

* The council also approved a proposal that would allow the section’s Executive Committee to negotiate the purchase of property and solicit construction bids to build a permanent site for its office.

The section now leases its office, on the campus of Gahr High School in Cerritos, for $2,646 per month. A 25-year lease for $300 per year expired in 1990; the current agreement expires in January, 1993.