Dear IUSD Community, In the two weeks since my last communication with you about the Portola High School site, IUSD has been working closely with officials from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), regarding their request to collect additional soil samples to reaffirm the safety of the site. On March 8, DTSC Division Chief Dot Lofstrom and her team met with IUSD staff at the school site to determine where the additional samples will be taken and to develop a draft workplan.
District staff will present the draft workplan to the IUSD Board of Education during a public meeting on Tuesday, March 22 at 7 p.m. at the District Office (5050 Barranca Parkway, Irvine). A representative from DTSC will be available to answer questions. The community is invited to attend and to provide public comments. For those who cannot attend the meeting, it will be broadcast live on Cox channel 39 and AT&T U-verse channel 99. IUSD’s efforts remain focused on the safety of our community, while continuing to ensure that our process is as transparent as possible. We have provided a comprehensive webpage iusd.org/portolaconstruction that provides detailed information about the school site. In addition, the District has developed a “Fact Check: Portola High School” document, which has the most factual and up-to-date information about the Portola High School site, including the more than 200 tests performed and clarification about the additional confirmation sampling. Please take a moment to review this document. As we prepare to open Portola High School this August, we join the community in its excitement about Irvine’s newest comprehensive high school that will serve generations of Irvine students and their families for years to come. We look forward to reaffirming the safety of the school site and moving forward with this world class facility. Thank you for your engagement and support of our students and schools, which enables IUSD to best serve our students. Sincerely,
