BOARD PREPARING GROUNDWORK FOR SCHOOL SPENDING.

Byline: Angie Valencia-Martinez Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - School board members say they will scrutinize schools' plans for spending $2.5 million - $100 per Simi Valley student - from this year's bond election.

The money can be used to improve school facilities - like buying playground equipment, computers and equipment - but not on salaries or school supplies.

``We want to be certain that the process of how the money is spent is a very inclusive process,'' said school board member Janice Di Fatta.

Echoed school board member Debbie Sandland:, ``We just want to make sure there's a broad spectrum of people involved. This is a way to guarantee they'll all benefit.''

The money is a portion of a $145 million bond issue, which voters approved in March, to fix and modernize facilities and pay for new construction.

Valley View Middle School officials have asked for a surveillance camera system after several incidents of vandalism at the school, officials said. Sinaloa Middle School made a request to have the outdoor student and faculty areas improved.

School board member Steven Gould said the panel wants to know the makeup of every committee involved in proposing projects and how each school prioritized its wish list.

In the past, officials said, some schools received money as part of API testing and concerns were raised about how that money was spent.

Simi Educators Association President Arleigh Kidd praised the board for scrutiny of the prospects.

``It shouldn't be the pet project of one person or a small group of people at the schools,'' Kidd said. ``My fear was that we'd see brand new administrative office and very little outside of that.

Angie Valencia, [phone]

angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com