IRVINE : Trustee Presses for New School’s Stadium

At least one school board member has not given up on building a $1.2 million stadium at the planned Northwood High School, even though Irvine Unified School District budget managers say the district can’t afford it.

When the new $51-million high school opens in the fall of 1997, it will have athletic fields, a gymnasium, athletic courts and locker rooms. But plans to construct a 5,000-seat stadium, 50-meter pool, an additional gymnasium and three tennis courts are on hold because of their $3.9-million price tag.

Trustee Tom Burnham warned fellow school board members of a “taxpayer revolt” when homeowners discover they are paying higher taxes to fund a school with incomplete facilities. Burnham said architectural plans showing a stadium at the school are misleading. “We need to be real upfront and honest about what we can do at this site,” Burnham said.

He has proposed shifting funds from a 600-seat theater planned for the school to construction of a stadium. Burnham said the district should also consider using funds earmarked for future construction projects to pay for the additional athletic facilities.

With expectations of continuing shortages in school construction money, school board member Margie Wakeham suggested sharing buildings and programs with the nearby Tustin Unified School District and other local organizations. High school juniors and seniors could travel to other locations for programs that are too expensive to be offered at all schools, according to Wakeham.

“I don’t know if it would work, but I do know we don’t have the money to do the things we need to do,” Wakeham said. “It’s misleading to tell the community we’re going to build a high school that is comprehensive.”