I can not believe I am writing an article for October issue already! Where did the year go?

All the students are back in school. Oso Grande of Ladera Ranch is facing overcrowding due to higher enrollment. The Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) administration is planning to bring in four portable classrooms which will take sometime as it was not planned well in advance.

Personally I can not believe that a brand new school was built in a brand new community of Ladera where a proper population forecasting was not done.

I am not a believer on portable classrooms as it is not the best bang for the bucks. Brick and mortar classrooms will last longer giving the best use of money. However, we in Ladera Ranch will assist the District in arranging space for these portables.

The streets full of students walking, or in cars with parents or guardians going to classes. It is heartwarming to see our future citizens are getting the education they will need to manage this great Country in the future.

DA Findings

The Orange County District Attorney’s office has again found the CUSD Board has violated the Brown Act which is the California’s open meeting law, protecting citizens from elected officials operating under secrecy.

Elected officials are given all the training including the state requirement to follow the Brown Act. Assuming all elected members of the community are able and willing to serve the constituents who elect them, how difficult is it to follow the Act?

I was following the issue of high pressure pipeline carrying liquid fuels next to the newly-built San Juan High School, where a majority of Ladera students attend. Underground facilities are "out of sight and out of mind."

But they should be looked into in details as a rupture of a heated oil pipeline depending on the topography of the pipeline route can endanger the nearby facilities, in this case the High School students.

Jim Reardon, a CUSD parent, brought the fact that the 2004 environmental report findings were in error as the pipeline valve was not automatic as reported in the study.

The District hired a consultant at a cost of about $18,000. The consultant’s report that the school is safe has been accepted by the CUSD board with a 6-0 vote with Duane Stiff being absent. As we need to have confidence on those who serve us, let us proceed to use the playgrounds.

New Board Majority

I attended the September 8 Board meeting with the new majority of the recall group board members.

We have another election in November where the two newly elected members in the recall election and the two positions of the hold over trustees will be up for reelection.

We all know that CUSD, with a student population of about 51,000 and a budget close to $500 million is strapped for money.

Was it necessary to spend $633,603 for the recall election? If yes, can anyone show the constituents the benefit in dollars of this expense?