Higher sewer fees, school administration changes

Higher sewer fees and local schools administrative changes merit attention this week:

--Residential customers of the Yorba Linda Water District will begin paying 8 percent more each month for sewer maintenance fees on bills dating from Aug. 1, increasing from $6.42 to $6.94 for homes with individual meters and up to $6.52 per unit for master-metered residences.

Commercial-industrial and public school accounts will pay $6.94 based on the first 700 cubic feet of water consumption plus $4.40 for each successive use of 1,000 cubic feet of water.

Sewer charges are included on the monthly water bills for customers who buy district water, while clients of other water agencies connected to district sewers pay the fee on the annual property tax billings from the county.

The increase comes in the third year of a five-year sewer rate study completed in late 2015. The district has 23,219 residential water connections in Yorba Linda and parts of three other cities.

--Olivia Yaung is the 17^th person and first woman to be named principal at Valencia High School since doors opened in 1933. She was assistant principal the past five years and succeeds Hector Vasquez, who served one year.

“We believe in setting high expectations for students in a nurturing environment,” she said in a message to parents, adding, “Our focus for the 2017-18 school year is empowerment, with students taking ownership of their learning experience.”

Also at Valencia: Kevin Ferguson replaces retiree Kevin McConnell as athletic director, Assistant Principal Nancy Watkins is now district administrator of secondary curriculum and instruction and Mike Young from Travis Ranch and Chris Herzfeld from Laguna Beach are new assistant principals.

--The first woman principal at Esperanza High School since the campus opened in 1974 is Gina Aguilar, a 20-year Aztec veteran replacing retiree Ken Fox. Returning as assistant principal is Jamie Jauch after a stint at Yorba Linda High School. Scott Mazurier also assumes an assistant principal slot.

“We value parents as our partners in education and look forward to the opportunity to collaborate and engage your students and give them the best high school experience possible,” Aguilar's first message stated.

Previously, only El Dorado High School had women principals: Karen Wilkens and Carey Cecil. This year, Joey Davis returns as principal, as does Yorba Linda High School's founding principal Dave Flynn; his new assistant principal is Richard Dinh. New El Dorado athletic director is Ray Elliott.

--Changes at Yorba Linda elementary schools: Tamie Beeuwsaert from Mabel Paine to Lakeview; Katherine Dailey from Lakeview to Rose Drive; and Linda Adamson from Rose Drive to district administrator of elementary curriculum and instruction. Melanie Carmona will head Mabel Paine.

New Yorba Linda Middle School principal is Tamar Kataroyan from Monrovia, replacing retiree Cameron Malotte.