PLACENTIA : Trustees OK Hiring of Lobbying Firm

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District trustees approved spending up to $24,000 over the next year to hire a lobbying firm to intensify their efforts in support of a state school-choice law.

In a 4-1 vote Tuesday, trustees agreed to hire the lobbying firm Frost, Davis & Donnelly at $2,000 a month until Sept. 24, 1992. Since June, the district has used the firm to press for the lifting of a state law that requires more than 700 west Yorba Linda students to attend Troy High School in Fullerton, rather than high schools within the Placentia-Yorba Linda district.

Earlier this month, lawmakers considered an 11th-hour amendment to a school-choice bill that would have given the Yorba Linda students the option of attending Troy or Placentia-Yorba Linda high schools. But the bill was stalled in an Assembly conference committee and will be taken up again in January.

“We need to have someone in Sacramento to keep our cause in the forefront,” Supt. James O. Fleming said. “. . . We have come farther in the last few months than we ever have since I’ve been here. We need to keep up the momentum.”

For years, the district has haggled with the Fullerton Joint Union High School District over the west Yorba Linda students. Although the students live within Placentia-Yorba Linda district boundaries for elementary and middle schools, they must attend Troy when they reach the ninth grade.

“We now have an excellent opportunity,” Trustee William Kielty said. “It’s important we have that professional expertise going into next year.”

Fullerton district officials say that without the Yorba Linda students, they could be forced to close one of six high schools. The district has long had its own lobbyist and has successfully stalled efforts to change the state law in the past.

In 1988, provisions were placed in the merger agreement between the Placentia Unified School District and the old Yorba Linda Elementary School District to keep the students going to Troy High School.

Placentia-Yorba Linda Trustee Barbara S. Williams, who voted against contracting with the lobbying firm, questioned the spending in the face of more than 200 layoffs this year. She said the district should abide by the merger agreement for a while longer.

“My conscience prevents me from supporting this item at this time,” Williams said.