Capo Unified to Pay at Least $60,000 for Flood Damage

Depending on how much aid Capistrano Unified School District receives from state and federal governments, the district will be on the hook for at least $59,000 and as much as $443,000 to repair , staffer Randy Rowles told the school board Monday night.

During the winter recess, historic rainfall damaged 17 schools in the district, especially , and in San Juan Capistrano and in Mission Viejo, said Rowles, the executive director of facilities and plant operations.

While the district’s insurance policy covered much of the damage, it features two major exclusions: damage to property found in flood zones and damage to slopes, Rowles said. The overflow of El Horno Creek is responsible for flooding at San Juan Elementary; slope damage occurred at Del Obispo, Marco Forster and Capo Valley. Depending on the final estimates, the uninsured liability may total as much as $797,000.

However, the district has applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which may cover up to 75 percent of the repair costs, and to the California Emergency Management Agency, which may pay for up to 18 percent of the costs.

“In our best-case scenario, we can be seeking up to 93 percent of our costs,” Rowles said.

The bad news is that the school district still has a $150,000 request it made back in 2005 and must close out the projects repaired—with inspections from the state and federal agencies—before it can receive any money for the 2010 storms, Rowles said.