Debate over new high school field continues

Residents raised concerns over the proposed multi-purpose football field at Long Beach High School yet again during a Board of Education work session, where Schools Superintendent David Weiss and school officials discussed the first draft of a revised schools facilities use policy.

The Jan. 24 meeting comes after a series of contentious debates about the multi-purpose field that unfolded in 2010, mainly between the district and Lido Beach residents who live near the high school, and two forums held late last year at the Long Beach Public Library, where school officials gathered input from residents about the district’s revised facilities use policy.

At the Jan. 24 Board of Education work session, Weiss and school officials discussed the facilities use policy. Officials said that it is common practice for the district to revise its policies, and that the decision to do so was timely, given that the district is expanding its facilities. School officials said they wanted an updated policy to run concurrent to those upgraded facilities.

Local external organizations that use the district’s facilities include Circulo De La Hispanidad, Long Beach Recreation Center and the PTA, among others. Among the issues under review include eligibility, external fees, hours of use as well as availability to community-based groups.

At the meeting, Weiss explained that the district compiled feedback from the public and researched the facilities use policies of other school districts.

“[Though] we’re pretty sure that everybody will find something wrong with the policy, but we also try to take into account everyone’s issue,” he said.

Under the policy, school facilities may be used by Long Beach School District community groups for activities that are educational, cultural, social, recreational or civic in nature, primarily for the benefit of district residents.