HUNTINGTON BEACH

After months of hearing pleas to sell the closed Gisler School property, Huntington Beach City School District trustees heard a louder cry from the other side at a recent meeting. “The people who were in favor of the closure are the people involved in the school system,” said resident Tom Simpson, one of many who prodded officials to keep the property. “They see the sale of Gisler as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.” Simpson, who fought the closure of the school in 1985, said the 15-acre property should be saved in case of future enrollment growth and for the open space.

Cari Swan, who has told the board several times that she supports selling Gisler, said she asked Gisler supporters to stay for the entire meeting to learn more about district issues, but was disappointed when many of them left after the public comments period. “I would love to have seen every single one of those people stay with us through the long haul,” she said. “You need to be knowledgeable before you have the right to approve or disapprove something.”