Editorials

BUSD Board to Review Property Sale Policy By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR

Tuesday September 20, 2005

The Berkeley Unified School District Board of Directors meets Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Old City Hall at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Items on the agenda include: 

• Second reading of a revamped district policy on the sale, lease, and/or rental of district-owned property. The district is currently contemplating the future of one of its unused properties, Hillside School, which has been ruled unsuitable for public school use because it sits directly on the Hayward earthquake fault. Last January, the board authorized the creation of an advisory committee to review the possible sale of the building and property at the school. 

• An update of the district’s facilities and construction plan. The district has either recently finished or is still in the midst of a number of major construction projects, including renovations at Berkeley High School, Willard Middle, and several elementary schools. The report will give information on projects already finished, as well as outline the district’s goals for future construction projects. 

• A report on class size reduction. Such reductions are mandated by the Berkeley Schools Excellence Project bond monies and were a major issue in last spring’s BUSD teacher job action and contract talks.