The busing lawsuit by Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita will cost the Capo School District at least $3 million per year, plus legal costs, if it forces Capo to restore all bus routes. That is the amount being saved from cutting busing service to about 5,000 students, according to Deputy Superintendent Ron Lebs.
It is unclear what other items would be cut to offset those cuts, but Lebs says that the last items restored during budget deliberations were reductions in class sizes and the recall of laid-off teachers, making those categories likely targets.
Last night Mission Viejo’s Council unanimously approved a joint legal representation agreement with RSM to share legal costs of the litigation. Both cities have already filed CEQA court complaints. Under the joint agreement, RSM will pay about 20% of the legal costs to Richards, Watson & Gershon, MV’s law firm, and MV will pay 80%. The ratio is based on the proportion of CUSD schools in each city.
The MV-RSM plan proposes a tolling agreement with Capo which would provide a period of negotiations before further prosecution of the case. MV and RSM complain that hundreds of daily car trips have been added to their traffic patterns and seek immediate restoration of all busing until CUSD performs a more comprehensive environmental review as allegedly required under state law.
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I live in the area impacted by the Newhart Middle School traffic. The parents have found a way to shortcut through a residential neighborhood and discharge their children through a neighborhood walkway. Can’t blame them for trying but the matter has been brought to the association, the school and planning commission and no one seems to be in control. This is not to mention that some mothers still need to be on the mobile phone while driving. The situation has of course only worsened this year with the busing situation.
Help!!!