Residents to Get More Access to Campuses

Residents will soon have more access to school campuses for recreation, under a plan recently adopted by the Tustin Unified School District Board of Education.

The issue was raised several months ago by area residents, many with small children, who asked that campuses be more accessible during non-school hours, said Brad Lantz, the district’s director of facilities and security.

The new policy “ensures that gates will be open and that community members can have access,” Lantz said.

Some critics said that schools could experience an increase in violence and graffiti.

District officials, however, said that security officers will be on duty during open-campus hours, generally after school and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on non-school days.

The hours would be expanded during daylight saving time.

Youth sports groups and others already using school facilities will not be affected by the new policy, Lantz said.