School Board Holds Fate of Old Building

Administrators feeling the pressure of overcrowded classrooms are set to recommend that a historic building on the grounds of Villa Park Elementary School be demolished to gain extra space.

But trustees of the Orange Unified School District said they are reluctant to destroy the historically interesting but dilapidated building, and may vote at tonight’s meeting to find another option.

The trustees are meeting on a different night this week so they can attend high school graduations Thursday, their regular meeting day.

The issue of the old elementary school building, named Mountain View when it opened in 1883, first came up in April. Administrators said they were worried about the safety of students near the deteriorating building. Crowding also is a problem on the elementary campus.

Options included building a wooden fence around the site for about $7,000, destroying the building or renovating it at a cost of $600,000 to $900,000.

Board President Bill Lewis said he had hoped community groups might come up with a plan to save the building, but no one has stepped forward to take on the project.

“I don’t like to tear down old buildings, because once they are gone they can’t be resurrected,” Lewis said. “But I sort of felt all along it should be in the hands of people who reside in Villa Park. . . . I guess we have such an overcrowding problem, we really need the space.”

The meeting begins at 7:30 at district headquarters, 1401 N. Handy St. in Orange.

Information: (714) 997-6221.