School District Still Pursues Housing Plan

Proposals to build housing on 4.7 acres of John F. Kennedy High School’s campus along Crescent Avenue are again being solicited by the Anaheim Union High School District.

Even after the City Council directed its staff last month to draft revisions to the city’s General Plan that would forbid development of the land, district trustees voted unanimously last week to move forward with selecting a developer.

The district expects to start narrowing down proposals for single-family-home developments in about 60 days, Supt. Jan Billings said.

“We’re just taking it step by step, knowing people have some concerns,” Billings said. “But when you’re talking about the kinds of improvements Kennedy needs, there’s no way a regular school budget can accommodate these big-ticket items.”

The plan has angered council members and some homeowners, who say development on the school’s athletics fields will reduce open space.

But district officials said the development will provide badly needed revenue to fund improvements to the school, which has a condemned pool and lacks an auditorium.

“This is the only way the students of Kennedy are going to get any of the amenities they need,” Kennedy Principal Norie Atherton said.