CITIZENS BOND PANEL RARING TO GO; $97 MILLION SCHOOL SPENDING MEASURE TOPS COMMITTEE'S AGENDA.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer

For Thousand Oaks resident and parent John Eun, the $97 million school bond proposed for Conejo Valley schools will have a lot of ground to cover if it passes in this month's special election.

From leaky roofs that need replacement to swimming pools on the drawing board for years, the district will face some tough choices in allocating funds among the more than $101 million in identified projects at 31 campuses.

``I think that's where input from the community will be extremely important,'' said Eun, a member of the newly formed bond advisory committee. ``If the bond does pass, I think taxpayers will want to know that the district is spending the money efficiently and that they didn't waste their time and money voting for this measure.''

Although the bond election won't be decided for two weeks, the 34 parents and local residents who make up the citizens committee met for the first time Monday night.

Charged with advising the district on how to spend the hoped-for bond funds on a host of school projects, many members said they also want to see the committee become something of a watchdog group to hold district officials and the school board accountable to the taxpayers.

That's what pushed resident Richard Kohlbrand to nominate himself for a seat on the committee. He said he attended a question-and-answer session about Measure V at the Kevington Homeowners Association meeting last month when he learned that the district was accepting applications for an advisory committee.

``I've very interested in controlling costs, and this is a burden on the taxpayer. So if this measure passes, I want to help make sure the money is spent wisely,'' said Kohlbrand, a 29-year Thousand Oaks resident whose daughter attended Thousand Oaks High School more than 15 years ago.

District officials received nominations last month from school principals for seats to represent each campus in the district. Additionally, six at-large members were named along with union representatives and two district officials representing the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

At Monday night's meeting, members met with district officials to review a preliminary, 33-page spreadsheet detailing more than 900 projects identified by maintenance and facilities crews at each of the school sites in recent months. Members also discussed some of the committee's functions - and their limitations - in overseeing the administration of the proposed bond funds.

``This will not be a decision-making committee, but an advisory committee,'' said Superintendent Jerry Gross, who attended Monday's meeting. ``The priorities at the school sites the district identified may change as things come up, but the district needs input and discussion on these important projects.''

As school districts across the state increasingly have turned to local bond measures to cover modernization and expansion costs, citizens committees have taken increasingly important roles, with varying results. In Los Angeles, the Proposition BB Blue Ribbon Citizens Oversight Committee has rarely reached consensus in monitoring a $2.4 billion bond, with debate culminating in the use of funds for the Belmont Learning Center project.

In Ventura, school officials brought together a citizens committee to identify long-term plans and funding sources for Ventura public schools. That committee presented a more than 250-page report identifying project ideas at each school site and making a series of recommendations, said Don Austin, attorney with the Ventura Unified School District.

Although the citizens committee has not met since the bond passed in June 1997, Austin said the board is working from the committee's report in prioritizing projects and proceeding with work.

Thousand Oaks resident Lorraine O'Neill said she envisions the local bond advisory committee as one to oversee the administration of the bond and keep the channels of communication open between the district and the public.

``I will be able to bring the questions and concerns of parents and residents I know to the district, and I hope to be able to visit the school sites myself to have a look,'' said O'Neill, a 25-year resident whose three children attended local public schools.

Although the advisory committee will have no authority over the school board, board President Dolores Didio compared the group to the District Advisory Committee, a long-running citizens group that advises the district on a host of issues.

``From what I'm hearing, these people are really sincere in wanting to do the right thing, and when it comes time for the board to make a decision, I think it is important to hear as many voices in the community as possible,'' said Didio, who attended Monday night's meeting.

For committee member Eun, the most important role the citizens group will play will be to serve as the eyes and ears of the community.