BUSD explores lease options at Palomar College

The possibility that Bonsall High School will operate on part of Palomar College’s Fallbrook site will require several additional steps before such a potential arrangement can be finalized, but the Bonsall Unified School District board has approved a next step.

The board’s 5-0 vote, May 8, called for the investigation of an option involving Bonsall High School use of portable classrooms currently used by Palomar College which will become vacant once the community college’s permanent structures are complete. The meeting provided a presentation of a prefeasibility study.

“It basically just showed the board the options,” BUSD superintendent David Jones said.

One of the options addressed in the prefeasibility study would be for the school district to provide its own portable buildings.

“The cost of that would far exceed what we have,” Jones said.

The preferred option is for the school district to lease the existing portable buildings on the campus contingent upon the Palomar Community College District being supportive of that scenario.

“We want to look at the option of taking over the Palomar portables,” Jones said. “We think that’s more of a realistic approach considering how much money we have.”

Before a full feasibility study is conducted Jones and other BUSD staff members or consultants will determine the cost of that study, the scope of a Memorandum of Understanding with the community college district, and whether California Environmental Quality Act review will be required.

“I’m hoping to get it done as soon as possible,” Jones said. “My hope is that we'll come back to the board in June.”

Once the cost and scope of the feasibility study is known, the board will vote whether to approve the full feasibility study.