MV’s Capo Valley High School is competing with two other CUSD High Schools for a new Performing Arts Center.
The Mission Viejo City Council decided last night to assist the effort by submitting a letter of support for the project to the Capo Board of Trustees. The Trustees will consider the three proposals at its meeting next Monday.
The City Council’s resolution was based in part on a statement that CVHS was the only South County High School without a performing arts center. That appears misleading, because Dana Hills uses a converted double classroom for its events, not a performing arts center. Capo High uses an indoor quad known as the mall.
Project estimates are $12 million and $13 million for the CVHS and DHHS proposals, respectively. San Clemente is seeking a modernization of its facility estimated at $5 million. Budgets for capital projects theoretically do not reduce the budget for non-capital expenses like salaries, maintenance, etc., but the competition is fierce for dollars in the cash-strapped school district.
Ron Lebs, Deputy Superintendent for Business and Support Services, tells the Dispatch there are inadequate funding sources for comprehensive facility needs that “are in the several hundreds of millions of dollars.” Currently a Facility Master Plan is being developed which will be presented to the Board in November or December.
The performing arts centers have not received any priority designation against other needs, but are being expedited on the agenda because of pending state assistance. CV and DH will each receive $3 million grants if the balance is funded by CUSD and the projects are approved by the California Architect’s Office by December of next year (2009). San Clemente has a pending $1.5 million grant.
Lebs identifies a partial list of competing interests, including: Adult Transition Facility, Alternative High School, New & Replacement Relocatables, San Juan Elementary Classrooms, Dual Immersion Programs, Dana Hills 2nd Gym, Turf, Swimming Pools, Tennis Courts (Aliso Viejo), No Child Left Behind Program, Facilities for Growth Flexibility and for Ladera Ranch Growth.
Mission Viejo’s endorsement of the CVHS performing arts center may be seen as a bit high-handed to presume to advise CUSD about educational priorities. Following an audit of Capo spending, however, the Council became unhappy MV hasn’t received funding for city schools in proportion to the Mellos-Roos taxes paid by its citizens. It decided not to mention the inequity in this letter of support for Capo High, however. Last year the Council seemed to feel a gym at Newhart Intermediate School should have highest priority.
In April the Board approved about $60,000 for feasibility studies regarding the theatres. On Monday trustees will need to approve architectural fees of about $750,00 each for CV and DH in order to have construction documents prepared for state review in the Fall of 2009.
Deputy Superintendent Lebs has created a funding method for Trustees to consider. It would provide the $12 million budget for Capo High by using the $3 million state grant, $2.2 million from CUSD’s current balance and annual receipts from the Mission Viejo Redevelopment Agency, and $6.8 million from Mello-Roos funds (CFD 87-1).
Trustees will also be shown a plan for fully funding the $13 million Dana Hills proposal, but resources for San Clemente are $3.4 million short of its projected $5 million cost.
Staff is making no recommendation on any of the three proposals. As Lebs points out, the Board of Trustees will need to decide if it prefers to allocate these funding resources to priorities other than high school theatres.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
As someone who has been involved in this issue, I hope that the CUSD trustees fund the project at Capo Valley High, which has been without a theater since it was built in the 1970’s. The dedication of a vast number of parents, former students, and community leaders has helped bring the thought of a theater at Capo now to a reality.
As a former student I watched other schools built such as Aliso Niguel, Tesoro, and the new San Juan Hills High School, all of which have a nice theater and full amenities. There is a need for improvements at the older high schools in the district, specifically the need for a theater at Capo which has not had a performing arts theater for 30 years. Last year an OC Register article discussed the need for a theater at Capo.
I am glad the city council supports the project at Capo. Ultimately, it is the vote of the school board that counts. I hope that the school board takes advantage of the state grant for this project and that Capo finally gets a performing arts theater.
As an alumnus and board member of the Capistrano Valley High School foundation I have had the opportunity to help alongside everyone else. I look forward to staying involved and I look forward to seeing a new theater at Capo in the future.