Merger of 2 Schools Suggested
To save money and create better academic and sports programs, two trustees of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District are urging the board to look at merging the student populations of Costa Mesa High School and Estancia High School.
“We are talking about creating one normal-sized high school,” trustee James M. Ferryman said. “They are two of the smallest high schools in the county, with about 1,000 students each.”
No formal proposal has been put before school district officials.
But Ferryman and Edward H. Decker, two of Costa Mesa’s representatives on the seven-member board, said they want fellow trustees to examine the benefits that could result from bringing the schools under one roof.
Besides the savings of combining administrations and maintaining one school, Decker and Ferryman said they believe that one school could raise money more effectively than two institutions.
“The community could bring all their resources to bear on one campus,” Ferryman said. “We don’t have as many resources to split as Newport Beach, so this might help to enrich the campus.”
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