Board approves CEQA exemption and county grant to begin multi‑sport field work at former Highlander site

The Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Board voted to approve a resolution declaring demolition and replacement of the former Highlander site exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act and to accept a $450,000 social program grant from Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis to support field construction.

Trustees amended the proposed resolution to describe the project as a multi‑sport facility rather than limiting it to “soccer fields.” The board’s legal counsel advised that altering the descriptive language on the resolution is permissible when the board still concludes the work is a minimal change that does not increase student capacity — the key basis for claiming the CEQA exemption. The amended resolution passed on a 5–0 vote.

The board also accepted the county grant and related action to use district funds and the grant to prepare the site. Superintendent Roach and project manager Nancy Risco explained the funding package and said the district will match county support with previously approved bond funds, noting that the total district budgeted amount for site work was capped for this phase at approximately $1.1 million. ‘‘We appreciate Supervisor Solis’ support and believe this will be transformative for our students,’’ Superintendent Roach said.

Several public commenters urged the board to honor the site’s history as a community‑built baseball complex and to ensure the design supports multiple sports and community use. Longstanding community members criticized past lockouts and maintenance lapses under the former administration and asked that the district engage founding donors and preserve legacy uses; Trustee De La Torre and others said the board should respect that history while moving forward to restore the site.

Trustee Stephanie Serrano argued for greater transparency about the total project cost and the grant terms, saying the community wants assurance the county’s funding will not leave the district with uncovered expenses. Trustee Serrano also asked whether changing the resolution language would jeopardize the county contribution; the county representative in the meeting indicated the county’s $450,000 pledge applies to the proposed field component and did not require exclusive ‘‘soccer‑only’’ language.

The board directed staff to finalize contract language, confirm budget caps in contracts, and provide layperson‑friendly materials for the community explaining next steps. The administration said the CEQA exemption vote applies to site demolition and preparatory work and that any future phases that would increase capacity or significantly change use would be returned to the board for separate review.

The board’s vote to accept the county grant passed (4 ayes, 1 nay on the final roll call as recorded). The CEQA resolution (amended to read "multi‑sport") passed unanimously.