The Hart district board Wednesday picked the Hasley/Sloan and Romero Canyon properties in Castaic for environmental impact reports and further studies, putting the district one step closer to having a much-needed school open for students in 2013.

The vote, which came after more than three hours of discussion, reports and public comments before a packed board room, allows the William S. Hart Union High School District to begin environmental impact reports at the start of 2010.

The process is expected to take up to 18 months and cost up to $250,000 for each report.

By providing quarterly reports to board members about the studies, district officials hope to narrow the preferred sites to just one.

“This is a beginning point,” Superintendent Jaime Castellanos said. “There’s a lot more work to be done.”

Board member Dennis King reiterated the district’s dedication to building a high school in Castaic and highlighted the challenges over the last decade.

“This has been an emotional and political issue in our valley. More political than it should have been,” said King, who ended his term on the Hart board Wednesday with board member Patricia Hanrion.

Joe Messina and Bob Jensen will be sworn in as new board members Dec. 9.

Messina and Jensen said they agreed with what was decided.

Wednesday’s vote during a special meeting to discuss Castaic high school brought more than 100 community leaders and residents to listen to reports from three consultants about the benefits and drawbacks to the Hasley/Sloan, Romero Canyon and Green Valley Ranch sites.

The Hasley/Sloan site would allow for a 48-acre high school off of Sloan Canyon Road between Hillcrest Parkway and Hasley Canyon Road.

The Santa Clarita Valley Facilities Foundation has owned the property for seven years.

However, consultants have identified potential flood hazards and neighboring residents have protested a proposed high school in their rural neighborhood. A bridge to the high school would also need to be built. The total development cost would be about $17 million, according to consultant reports.

The Romero Canyon site, owned by Larry Rasmussen and located in an undeveloped area off Romero Canyon Road, has 53 usable acres for a high school. Analyses show that the site requires significant grading and has potential issues with landslides.

Development costs are expected to be about $28 million, according to consultant reports.

While addressing the board, Rasmussen said the landslides are not an issue because when the land is graded, the potential for landslides will be eliminated.

The Green Valley Ranch site, owned by Hunt Williams, is located near Del Valle Road. Consultants identified potential issues with active faults and gases, like methane in the soil, caused by oil wells. Development of the Green Valley Ranch site would have been about $14 million.