North County : Districts Agree to Pursue School Annexation Plan

School board representatives from three cities met again Thursday and agreed to pursue a 10-point proposal for the annexation of the Yorba Linda Elementary School District by Placentia Unified School District.

The latest action in Yorba Linda’s 10-year effort to secede from the Fullerton Union High School District follows State Sen. William Campbell’s (R-Hacienda Heights) introduction of legislation earlier this month that allows Placentia to annex the Yorba Linda Elementary School District. The legislation, Senate Bill 907, would allow the school districts up to two years to reach an agreement on the issue.

“Placentia has written letters saying that their intent is to amend Senate Bill 907 to incorporate the goals of this proposal,” said Donna Byland, administrative assistant with the Placentia school district superintendent’s office. “This agreement is the first step to resolve the concerns of the three districts and ensure the equitable transfer of money and personnel when annexation occurs.”

The 10-point proposal, which was approved by the boards of both Yorba Linda and Placentia school districts in separate meetings Monday night, is a modified version of an 11-point Fullerton school district proposal introduced last month.

The plan seeks to ensure that any annexation would benefit the three school districts. At present, Yorba Linda high school students are bused several miles to schools in the Fullerton high school district. Yorba Linda is seeking annexation to neighboring Placentia to provide its students with high schools closer to home.

In addition to pledging “continued enhancement” of educational programs, the three school districts have also proposed avoiding the closure or overcrowding of any high school within the next two years and to divide staff equitably among all the districts.

The proposal also includes a provision pledging the adjustment of total revenues to compensate for Fullerton’s estimated loss of $2.5 million in state per-student funds if Yorba Linda’s 925 high school students are transferred to Placentia.