Dear IUSD Community, This August, IUSD will open Portola High School, Irvine’s fifth comprehensive high school. While there is considerable excitement about the opening of our new school, there continues to be misleading information disseminated in the community about the school site, which is on the former El Toro Marine Base. I would like to take this opportunity to share information with you about IUSD’s actions to ensure the safety of the site. Throughout the multi-year process, IUSD has worked with all necessary agencies and experts to vet and ensure the safety of the site. In analyzing and determining the best location for Portola High School, IUSD’s process, procedures and findings have been based on the scientific studies, tested principles and protocols of such agencies as the California Department of Education, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), the California Department of Public Health, the Department of the Navy, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This well-documented and comprehensive process has been provided on our website, presented in Board Meetings, shared with the City Council, discussed at public events and with an array of diverse stakeholders such as the PTA, the Irvine Public Schools Foundation and community supporters. Further, in 2014, the DTSC and the California Department of Education determined that the Portola High School site met the required state approvals for the development of the high school and gave IUSD the “green light” to move forward with the school’s construction. As the lead environmental agency on this project, the DTSC has been responsible for providing oversight of the required testing and for analyzing the results. Throughout this process, the DTSC has confirmed the safety and suitability of the site. To date, the District has conducted more than 200 tests throughout the school site. Based on the results, the DTSC documented there is no threat to public health or the environment. As part of this continued oversight, the DTSC has now asked IUSD to collect additional “confirmational” samples to reaffirm the safety of the site. IUSD will begin this process immediately and will analyze additional soil samples. The District will continue to fully comply with the DTSC’s requirements, protocols and procedures, in addition to state and local laws. The DTSC believes this work can be done quickly with “little or no impact” to our construction – the timeline for opening the school remains unchanged. IUSD will provide you with regular updates, including all test results. As with all other Irvine schools, Portola High School will continue IUSD’s tradition of excellence and the Irvine community will be proud of its next comprehensive high school. For more information about the Portola High School site and a history of IUSD actions and DTSC documents, please visit iusd.org/portolaconstruction. Thank you for your engagement and support of our students and schools, which enables IUSD to best serve our students. Sincerely,
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Terry L. Walker Superintendent of Schools, Irvine Unified School District
