District Will Use Surplus Funds to Boost School Sports

Flush with surplus money, Orange Unified School District trustees began the process of spending it this week--and made an immediate pledge to bolster sports programs.

District officials said they expect to gain up to $5 million as they buy out lifetime health benefits from teachers. The trustees can safely spend about $200,000 now, while they wait to see what the outcome of the buyout is in November, officials said.

Administrators submitted a wish list of projects, programs and positions that ran several million dollars over the projected income.

The trustees decided Thursday to immediately pledge $164,000 to reinstate sports programs that were cut in the lean budgets of the 1992-93 school year. The funds also will pay for new golf, girls’ water polo and boys’ volleyball programs, which were not previously funded by the district.

That 6-0 decision won them a standing ovation from nearly 100 parents and students who spoke eloquently about what sports meant in their lives.