William S. Hart Union High School District

The Hart District Governing Board will receive an update on its studies for a high school site in the Castaic area at its June 9, 2010, meeting. Reports at the upcoming meeting are expected to focus on reports from the civil and traffic engineers who are currently conducting preliminary studies on two sites—the Hasley/Sloan site and Romero Canyon.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Hart District Board Room, 21515 Centre Pointe Parkway, Santa Clarita.

Several of the consultants working on preliminary investigation of the two potential high school sites in the Castaic area will be presenting reports to the Governing Board Wednesday evening, June 9. Copies of those reports are now posted online (see links from the Castaic home page). The updated reports include traffic, geology and water availability, among other issues. They will be added to the wealth of information the Board will study in choosing a new high school site.

The following report on the Castaic High School site study appears in the Round-up following the Governing Board meeting on June 9:

Castaic Site Studies Continuing
An update from experts hired to do preliminary research on two favored sites for a Castaic area high school focused on traffic issues, state requirements and civil engineering studies. Secondary access roads to both sites continue to be an issue, with more research required on existing easements and what the county will require. Accessibility for the disabled poses an issue for the Romero Canyon site if public buses cannot deliver riders to the top of the slope, while neighbors expressed displeasure at the thought of buses using their quiet cul de sacs for school access. Possible requirements for a second bridge and county acceptance of a proposed secondary access were issues with the Hasley/Sloan site. Environmental concerns at both sites could create delays if permission is required from agencies such as the Corps of Engineers and the Department of Fish and Game. Necessity to re-abandon an oil well on the Romero Canyon property and the cost involved were also discussed. Full reports provided to the Governing Board are available online at http://www.hartdistrict.org/index.php/schools/castaic-high-school by clicking on the link to the desired report. The Governing Board was assured that it would have enough information by July to make a decision between the two proposed sites, but it was stressed that no preliminary studies will have all of the answers and the Board must be prepared to take some risks in its site selection.