Vallecitos ES, community center, Live Oak Park to benefit from Neighborhood Reinvestment Program funds

The allocation of Neighborhood Reinvestment Program grants during the Oct. 29 San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting will provide funding for Vallecitos Elementary School, the Fallbrook Community Center, and Live Oak Park.

The supervisors' 5-0 vote allocated $125,000 to the Vallecitos School District to purchase and install fending and an entry door at Vallecitos Elementary School, $5,000 to The Friends of the Fallbrook Community Center to purchase holiday decorations and banners for the community center and to replace and install new flooring and $3,000 to the county's Department of Parks and Recreation to purchase and install a bench and plaque at Live Oak Park.

Each county supervisor has an annual $2 million discretionary Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget. The Neighborhood Reinvestment Program is intended to provide grants to nonprofit organizations for the furtherance of public purposes at the regional and community levels. In addition to nonprofit organizations, county supervisors can also fund schools and fire departments, and supervisors can also use money from their budgets to supplement other county funding for specific county projects such as parks, roads and libraries. Each county supervisor recommends the allocation of his or her Neighborhood Reinvestment Program funds, although those allocations must be approved by a majority of the board. The grants for Vallecitos School, the Fallbrook Community Center, and Live Oak Park were from the District Five budget of Supervisor Jim Desmond.

Vallecitos School opened in 1885 and educates Rainbow children from kindergarten through eighth grade. Although the only shooting on the campus occurred in April 1962 when the president of the Vallecitos School District board fatally shot a trespasser, recent incidents involving strangers on campus led the school district to evaluate enhanced safety measures.

"After speaking to Rainbow residents and officials at Vallecitos Elementary School they voiced their concern over the lack of fencing protecting their school in Rainbow," Desmond said. "School safety is a top priority. We cannot send our kids somewhere we don't believe will be safe."

The Fallbrook Community Center provides activities for various age groups, and more than 4,000 people monthly utilize the community center. "The Fallbrook Community Center is a great place for people to come together and celebrate," Desmond said.

Friends of the Fallbrook Community Center is a nonprofit volunteer organization which was founded in 1981 to raise funds to support community use of the Fallbrook Community Center. "They told us about a need for improving their flooring, which this money will go toward," Desmond said.

Live Oak Park totals 27 acres. In addition to a tree forest the park includes two playgrounds, an amphitheater, softball and soccer fields, volleyball and basketball courts, and picnic tables.

"Live Oak Park is a beautiful part of Fallbrook, and we heard from residents about adding a bench," Desmond said. "This will allow another rest area for those enjoying the park."