Stoneman School sale brings in cash

In the age of shrinking budgets, rare is the city with its finances in order. Rarer still is one able to direct millions of dollars to public schools.

But San Marino city leaders unanimously signed off Wednesday on the $6-million purchase of the former Stoneman School — a deal that staves off cuts at the San Marino Unified School District while relieving it of a potentially costly white elephant.

San Marino schools have lost about $15 million in state funding over the past three years, prompting salary freezes, furloughs and job cuts. If voters reject Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed tax increase in November, the district could lose another $1.2 million, said Supt. Loren Kleinrock.

“We’re constantly worrying about the state budget,” said school board President Nam Jack. “This lets us breathe a little easier.”

The district stopped using Stoneman as an elementary school campus in 1984, according to Assistant Supt. Julie Boucher. The Los Angeles County Office of Education then used the aging Pasqualito Drive facility off and on, and in 2006 the city leased it to house recreation department offices and programs.

In March 2011, the City Council and the school board brokered a 99-year lease agreement for Stoneman that softened state education cuts by infusing $5 million into the school district over the past two years.

Transfer of the deed brings the district another $1 million this month, holding the line against classroom cuts and freeing the district from future maintenance costs, said board member Chris Norgaard.

“Now even if the governor’s tax plan doesn’t go into effect, we should be in good shape,” he said.

But the Stoneman deal is more than just a boost for the school district, said Councilman Dennis Kneier.

“As good as San Marino is, we don’t have a lot of public recreation facilities. We would like to make some investments in Stoneman School … and want to make sure it stays in the community. It’s the right thing for the city,” he said.

Kneier hopes the city will find grants and other funding to renovate Stoneman and install a public swimming pool.

“It’s a good building, but it’s old and tired. We’re looking at a couple million over time,” he said.

City control of Stoneman has already paid off in terms of expanded community services, said Assistant City Manager Lucy Garcia.

“Prior to Stoneman, we had limited capacity for classes or a preschool program. We were operating out of a tiny portable at Lacy Park,” said Garcia, formerly the city’s community services director.

The city recreation department now offers a full-service preschool program, various enrichment classes and after-school day care at Stoneman.

Talk of selling Stoneman began before last year’s long-term lease agreement, but school officials feared that state restrictions on public property sales would force the district to spend proceeds on facilities rather than in the classroom. Use of lease revenue, however, is not restricted.

At the board’s request, state Assemblyman Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) introduced a bill that would have removed strings attached to Stoneman proceeds.

That proposal was spiked last month in the Assembly’s Appropriations Committee, but not before state officials determined that other legislation would allow San Marino Unified to sell Stoneman and use the money for “any one-time General Fund purpose,” Eng told school board members in June.

That means the district can’t use its final Stoneman million for teacher salaries, but it can spend the money on textbooks, computers and other essentials, according to Eng.

District leaders plan to use the money in ways that will free up other funding for day-to-day operations.

With little relief from the state in sight, Norgaard said, “We’ll have no problem finding something to use it for.”