Declining schools affect everyone
Letter to the editor

Our city needs to send a strong message to the Capistrano Unified School District. Some CUSD schools in Mission Viejo are aging and showing signs of neglect. Parents and other community members should no longer count on the district’s statements that facilities might be improved or money might be spent at some unspecified time in the future.

Mission Viejo residents throughout the city are affected by declining school facilities. Real estate agents are well aware that some school facilities are falling below potential homebuyers’ demands for excellent schools, and that includes excellent school facilities.

When parents have complained about conditions in the past, it seems the district immediately sends a press release about award-winning schools. Mission Viejo has award-winning schools because we have award-winning students, award-winning teachers, and the parents deserve awards as well because they’re often the ones raising money to keep programs afloat. I have yet to hear of awards for the aging and neglected buildings or the deteriorating portables.

I completely support the city council’s decision to send a strong message to CUSD with the audit of the CDA pass-through funds, Mello-Roos and Measure A funds received from Mission Viejo. As part of open government, the council needs to obtain an explanation of how and where these funds were used. Additionally, I am among the Mission Viejo taxpayers demanding that CUSD bring all its schools in our city up to standards.

James Edward Woodin
Mission Viejo