Yorba Linda remains second-most Republican city in Orange County despite drop in percentage of GOP registrants; Trump vote on six Yorba Linda ballots since the year 2000

 Voter registration numbers continue to show that Yorba Linda is the county's second-most Republican city, with 47.9% of 48,252 registrants choosing the GOP, but that number is significantly lower than the percentages for 2016 and 2000, 53.7% and 60.4%, respectively.

Yorba Linda's GOP plurality is behind only tiny Villa Park, where 52.1% of the city's 4,676 registrants are alinged with the Republican Party. Running close to Yorba Linda's GOP numbers is Newport Beach, with 47.7% opting for the GOP out of 59,630 registrants.

Brea and Placentia are the only other north county cities served by this newspaper to have a plurality of registered Republican voters, 37.7% out of 29,653 registrants in Brea and 36.3% out of 31,777 registrants in Placentia.

Democratic numbers prevail in Buena Park, 41.4% of 44,620 registrants; Fullerton, 39.9% of 78,023 registrants; La Habra, 41.7% of 34,115 registrants; and La Palma, 39.5% of 9,321 registrants.

Yorba Linda has the fewest “no party preference” registrations in north county at 20%, followed by 20.9% in La Habra, 21.9% in Placentia, 22.1% in Brea, 22.8% in Fullerton, 23.6% in La Palma and 24.3% in Buena Park.

The Nov. 5 general election will mark Donald Trump's seventh appearance on a Yorba Linda ballot. Long forgotten is his run as a Reform Party candidate in the March 2000 primary. His name remained on the California ballot after he announced his withdrawal from the election.

He received 45 Yorba Linda votes for the Reform Party presidential nomination. Twenty-eight votes came from registered Republicans, six from registered Democrats, two from Reform Party members, one from an American Independent and eight from non-affiliated voters.

In the June 2016 primary, Trump received 73.6% of the votes from registered Yorba Linda Republicans, and in that year's general election, he received 56.6% of all Yorba Linda votes.

In the March 2020 primary, Trump received 89% of the votes from registered Yorba Linda Republicans, and in that year's general election, he received 57.8% of all Yorba Linda votes.

In the March 2024 primary, Trump received 77% of the votes from registered Yorba Linda Republicans.

Interestingly, in the November 2020 general election, Trump beat Joe Biden in four of the five trustee areas that were established in 2018 for future board of education elections in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District.

In northwest Area 1, represented by Shawn Youngbood, Trump won by 268 votes; in southwest Area 2, represented by Marilyn Anderson, Biden won by 3,143 votes; in eastside Area 3, represented by Leandra Blades, Trump won by 3,865 votes; in central east Area 4, represented by Todd Frazier, Trump won by 2,679 votes; and in central west Area 5, represented by Carrie Buck, Trump won by 56 votes.

In 2022, a small portion of Area 1 was transferred to Area 2.

School resource officer agreements made with Yorba Linda, Placentia, Anaheim law enforcement agencies

 Agreements with the cities of Yorba Linda, Placentia and Anaheim to place school resource officers at each of the four comprehensive high schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District have been ratified on a recent unanimous vote by the district's board of trustees.

Officers are stationed at high school sites but will provide support to the district's elementary and middle school campuses “as needed.” The school resource officer “is trained to provide law enforcement services and law-related education” to students, according to board action.

Cost to the district for the coming school year is not to exceed $533,000. The district pays about one-half of the cost for one officer each at Yorba Linda and Esperanza high schools and 79% of the cost for one officer each at El Dorado and Valencia high schools.

Generally, officers will work 40-hour weeks for about 10 months at each high school site.

Each agreement is slightly different but all outline specific duties for officers. Duties in the Yorba Linda pact include investigating criminal offenses occuring on campuses and preventing criminal activity on or near campuses.

Other duties include assisting school officials in developing programs to promote safety and security; providing counseling and information to students, parents and school officials; and reporting contacts with students, parents, staff and community members to the principal.

Under the Yorba Linda pact, a county sheriff's deputy will be placed at Yorba Linda High, with support provided to the Bryant Ranch, Buena Vista, Fairmont, Glenknoll, Lakeview, Linda Vista, Mabel Paine, Travis Ranch campuses and the computer science charter at Bernardo Yorba.

Under the Placentia pact, police officers will be placed at El Dorado and Valencia highs, with support provided to the Brookhaven, George Key, Golden, Melrose, Morse, Parkview, Ruby Drive, Sierra Vista, Tynes, Van Buren and Wagner campuses, the district office and Kraemer, Tuffree and Valadez middle schools.

Under the Anaheim pact, a police officer will be placed at Esperanza High, with support provided to the Glenview, Rio Vista and Woodsboro campuses.

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The filing period is now open for candidates seeking City Council positions in Orange County cities. Last day to file nomination papers to appear on the Nov. 5 general election ballot is Aug. 9.

Filing for city positions is handled at City Halls at the City Clerk's office. If an incumbent council member fails to file for re-election, the filing deadline is extended to Aug. 14. An incumbent can not file to run again during the three-day time extension.

Due to the nature of the filing process, prospective candidates are advised not to wait until the deadline day to file.

Candidates seeking school trustee, water director and library director positions file at the county registrar of voters office at 1300 S. Grand Ave., Building C, Santa Ana.

Budgets approved for district, computer charter school by Placentia-Yorba Linda school district trustees, superintendent contract extended on 3-2 vote

A preliminary budget for the first year of operation of the Orange County School of Computer Science on the Bernardo Yorba Middle School campus has been approved by trustees of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District on a unanimous vote.

The budget for an estimated enrollment of 800 students lists revenues totaling a bit above $10.1 million, expenditures totaling nearly $7.7 million and reserves, fees and transfers totaling nearly $2.5 million. A total ending fund balance is listed as a negative $32,494.

Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Gary Stine reported to trustees that throughout the year, the trustees “will review and act upon proposed budget changes as they occur” and noted the staff will present formal interim reports in December and March.

Base and supplemental funding for sixth through eighth grades totals nearly $8.2 million, with about $2 million from other sources, including $186,000 in federal cash and $139,000 in state lottery funds.

Major expenditures are for staff salaries, benefits and pensions, totaling approximately $7.4 million. Budgeted for equipment, materials and supplies is $215,000 and set aside for travel, conferences, dues, memberships, repairs and non-capital improvements is $35,000.

The $2.5 million in reserves, fees and transfers includes district office administrative services, facilities and maintenance shared costs, special education contribution, liability insurance and a 4% reserve for economic uncertainty.

The 800-student enrollment figure includes 153 sixth graders added to the original seventh and eighth grade number of 647 students. Average daily attendance is estimated at 608.18.

Also approved on a unanimous trustee vote was the districtwide budget for the fiscal year that began July 1, showing $247.5 million in revenues and $257 million in expenditures for a deficit short of $10 million.

One interesting aspect of this year's budget is the enrollment projections. Stine told trustees the budget figures for enrollment are conservative estimates that maintain an estimated 400-student decline for the coming year and the next two years.

The budget enrollment number is 22,304 for the 2024-25 school year; 21,904 for the 2025-26 school year; and 21,504 for the 2026-27 school year, with a 94% attendance rate projected for each year.

But Stine noted that some recently instituted programs are anticipated to increase the projected enrollment numbers starting with the coming year that would have a positive impact on the deficit.

These include the computer science charter, the Universal Sports Institute and the preschools that are operating at several elementary school sites.

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Superintendent Alex Cherniss' contract was extended one year to expire June 30, 2028, on a 3-2 trustee vote with Leandra Blades, Todd Frazier and Shawn Youngblood in favor and Marilyn Anderson and Carrie Buck opposed.