ANAHEIM : School Site Slated for Young and Old

Centralia School District officials will begin rebuilding Centralia Elementary School today in a unique agreement with a private developer.

The groundbreaking is scheduled for 10 a.m. at 195 N. Western Ave.

Three of the 10 acres at the school site have been leased to ARV Affordable Housing Inc. of Costa Mesa, which plans to build 109 low-cost housing units for seniors. The profits from that 40-year lease will go toward school expenses such as the principal’s salary and playground equipment, said district spokeswoman Sally Pollack.

The lease agreement calls for ARV to pay the school district $131,000 a year plus 5% of gross revenue.

The new school, which will serve 600 students, will be built on the remaining acreage. It is scheduled to open its doors in September, 1993.

For 60 years, the site served as Centralia’s school and district offices. But in recent years as student population dwindled, the buildings were leased to community groups. A growing elementary pupil population has forced the district to reclaim the site for school use.

District officials are also considering making Centralia Elementary a year-round school to meet the demands of the rising student population, Pollack said.

Officials hope the seniors who move into the neighboring low-cost apartments will adopt the school for volunteer activities.