PUSD approves cell phone antennas for Del Norte High

The Poway Unified School District board has approved putting cellular antennas on three light posts around Del Norte High School’s football field.

All five school board trustees voted in favor of antenna placements Monday night, over the objections of a dozen parents who posed concerns about radio frequency emissions from the equipment.

A dozen people spoke in opposition of the proposal, while a handful of others said they supported the addition of antennas, which would provide better cell service to the community.

Trustees emphasized that they had no intention of putting district children at risk.

Trustees Penny Ranftle and Jeff Mangum said that their children attended cell tower-equipped Poway Unified schools without any ill effects from the antennas and saw no reason to oppose the Del Norte proposal.

“If the tower doesn’t go up at Del Norte, it will go somewhere else,” Mangum said.

AT&T and Verizon, both providers of wireless telephone service, have finished the permitting process and will now, after board approval, enter lease agreements with the district. Those companies will pay the district a total of $382,000 over a five-year period, according to Superintendent John Collins.

Poway Unified already has cell antennas at seven schools, including four high schools, Black Mountain and Mesa Verde middle schools and Shoal Creek Elementary.

Doug Mann, the district’s director of facilities, told the board that if anyone wants to oppose the use of cell antennas (or towers), they cannot use health criteria to decide against them as a federal law prohibits that.

During Monday’s meeting, Mann and others noted that the American Cancer Society, the Federal Communications Commission and others have said that cell antennas are not health risks.

District consultant Jerrold Bushberg, an expert in both health and medical physics, spoke to Monday’s audience. He provided information about radio frequency (RF) radiation emitted from the cell antennas.

Bushberg said he knew of no health risks related to them.

“RF exposure falls off very rapidly,” Bushberg said, adding, “and the exposure prediction is very minimal.”

Parent Ruth Stevens said that she is concerned about both short- and long-term effects, although some of the verification about RF exposure has yet to be substantiated.

“Our concerns are not only for kids, but staff, too (at the school),” Stevens said. “When I consider the money the district will receive, versus my daughter’s health, I don’t think it’s worth the money.”

In other board business, the district has reversed a decision made in May and will allow regular education bus service to continue when school resumes on Aug. 25.

Thirty-five bus drivers will be reinstated to provide that service, Collins said.