School Board to Seek Bond Issue for Building Repairs

School officials told the City Council this week that their four schools are in such disrepair that they will ask for a bond referendum to upgrade and renovate the buildings.

“We talk a lot about world-class education but we know we don’t have world-class facilities,” said Robert Whalen, a member of the Laguna Beach Unified School District board.

His comments came during the annual joint meeting between the two boards. No action was taken, but several members of the City Council pledged to support a bond referendum and help school officials win voter approval.

Leaking roofs and broken toilets are among the items needing repairs at the district’s schools, all of which are at least 30 years old.

Science labs are outdated and the schools lack the wiring to accommodate computers or other technology, school board members said.

A public vote is likely in June or December of 1999.

School officials need to survey the buildings to determine how much the improvements would cost before setting an amount for the bond proposal.

Whalen said the district will apply for state modernization funds, but it is unclear whether any money would be available.