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Uni lea SchooL Distuict A Legacy of Excellence in Education
300 South C Street, Tustin, CA 92780-3695 • (714) 730-7301 • FAX (714) 731-5399 • wwwtustin.k12.c2.us
March 10, 2015
Residents of Columbus Square
1435 Lexington Street
Tustin, CA 92782
Dear Columbus Square Residents:
AT THE TUSTIN
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MAR 17 2015
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE
It has always been the plan of the Tustin Unified School District to open the Heritage campus as
an elementary school to serve Columbus Square and other residents of the Legacy development.
However, as you are aware, the timing of the opening of Heritage as an elementary school has
been delayed due to the lack of sufficient student generation to functionally and financially
operate the school.
With development starting to materialize in the Legacy area, the District is currently exploring
possible magnet programs that might attract a sufficient number of students from both inside
and outside of the District to open Heritage ahead of its natural opening based on student
enrollment from the Columbus Square and Legacy neighborhoods. The magnet program would
prepare students to enter a planned school serving grades 6-12 within the Legacy Development
The focus of the 6-12 school will be technology and entrepreneurship.
Concurrently, the school district and the City of Tustin are working on forming a Community
Facilities District (CFD) on the undeveloped land within the Legacy Development to fund the
construction of the 6-12 school. Residents of Columbus Square would have priority to attend
both Heritage and the new 6-12 school. We, expect that the City and the District will complete
the CFD formation process by the end of May, which would allow the District to plan the opening
of Heritage in the fall of 2016.
Hillview High School and our alternative education programs currently at the Heritage campus
will be moved to a new location prior to the opening of Heritage Elementary School.
As outlined earlier, having a sustainable student enrollment is a critical concern. Without the
CFD and magnet program in place, the District faces uncertainty in creating a functionally viable
school and would be forced to wait for sufficient enrollment from the neighborhood to develop -
about 3 S students and growing. At the current pace of growth, it could take several more years
before there is sufficient enrollment to open Heritage Elementary as a neighborhood school.
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Jonathan Abelove • Tammie Bullard • Lynn Davis • James Laird • Francine Scinto
Residents of Columbus Square
March 10, 2015
Page 2
As I shared with residents Cathy Vallevieni and Paul Callanan from Columbus Square in our
meeting last week, the City and District are working closely and cooperatively to complete this
project and look forward to sharing good news with the Heritage residents soon.
As further information becomes available, I will provide the community of Columbus Square with
an update.
Sincerely,
Grg . Franklin, Ed.D.
Superintendent
cc TUSD Board of Education
Tustin City Manager Jeffrey C. Parker
Tustin City Council