DISTRICT DEBATES TAKEOVER : CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LEASE ISSUE COMES TO A HEAD.Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer School district leaders are playing political tug-of-war with a private, Christian elementary school elementary school: see school. that some trustees say should serve the city's public student population. Grace Brethren School signed a 55-year lease agreement in 1987 for an elementary school campus on Arcane ar·cane adj. Known or understood by only a few: arcane economic theories. See Synonyms at mysterious. [Latin arc Street owned by the Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. Unified School District A unified school district is a school district which includes both primary school (kindergarten through middle school or junior high) and high school (grades 9-12). In Illinois, these districts are called unit school districts. . Now it faces an uncertain fate. Hoping to relieve overcrowding overcrowding overcrowding of animal accommodation. Many countries now publish codes of practice which define what the appropriate volumetric allowances should be for each species of animal when they are housed indoors. Breaches of these codes is overcrowding. in public schools on the west end of town, district leaders broke the lease agreement last year, giving Grace Brethren until June 1998 to find another campus. Earlier this week, however, the board had a change of plans. ``We jumped first, but we didn't have a lifeboat,'' said Norm Walker, school board president. ``We have a tenant who initially signed a 55-year lease. In my judgment, when you're dealing with a nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. community organization, you should maintain that agreement in good faith.'' At a school board meeting this week, trustees clashed over whether breaking the lease was a good idea in the first place. School board member Carla Kurachi said the district should stick to its plans, and open the Arcane Street campus to local students attending public schools. ``It's a neighborhood school that can't be used by the neighborhood,'' Kurachi said. ``It's a district-owned school, but now the district's schools are overcrowded o·ver·crowd v. o·ver·crowd·ed, o·ver·crowd·ing, o·ver·crowds v.tr. To cause to be excessively crowded: a system of consolidation that only overcrowded the classrooms. , and the district needs that space.'' Grace Brethren serves roughly 600 youngsters in grades kindergarten through sixth. Opening the site as a public school is expected to relieve overcrowding at Crestview, Lincoln and Berylwood elementary schools, Kurachi said. Crestview's designated capacity is between 390 and 420, with 501 students now enrolled. Lincoln's capacity is between 550 and 580, with 512 enrolled. Berylwood is equipped to house between 810 and 840 students, with 902 enrolled, Kurachi said. School officials have considered several options to ease crowding, such as reopening Reopening Treasury offerings of additional amounts of outstanding issues, rather than an entirely new issue. A reopened issue will always have the same maturity date, CUSIP number, and interest rate as the original issue. currently closed campuses and adding portable classrooms. An immediate solution would be to add portable classrooms, officials said. Adding a total of nine portables to Crestview, Lincoln and Berylwood would cost the district $900,000, Kurachi said. ``We have to really ask ourselves, are the taxpayers subsidizing a private Christian school A Christian School is a school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization. The nature of Christian schools varies enormously from country to country according to the religious, educational, and political culture. ?'' she said. However, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a school capacity study conducted late last year, forcing Grace Brethren to leave would cost the district more than letting it stay. The tenants pay $51,472 a year in rent, and at least $300,000 annually in operating expenses Operating expenses The amount paid for asset maintenance or the cost of doing business, excluding depreciation. Earnings are distributed after operating expenses are deducted. , according to the Osborn Capacity Study. Running the site as a public school would cost the district between $300,000 and $400,000 a year for teachers, classified and maintenance staff, Walker said. This amount does not include renovation costs, which are projected at over $1 million, he said. Grace Brethren also has spent ``several thousand dollars'' from its own coffers on reroofing and painting the school, as well as upgrading the playground, said Ray Blackwell, chairman of the board of directors for Grace Brethren Church and Ministries. ``We've taken care of it as if it's our own,'' Blackwell said. ``We feel we've had an obligation to maintain the property for our landlord.'' Although Blackwell hopes Grace Brethren can stay, he understands that business is business. ``We would like to be able to stay at Arcane, but we also understand the school board has a responsibility to the district, and a responsibility to the effective distribution of students,'' Blackwell said. ``Everybody at the district has been very cooperative with us. We don't get the idea that anyone is really against Grace Brethren School.'' Walker understands that some may question his support of Grace Brethren. A former Baptist minister, Walker is now the associate pastor in charge of education and youth activities at SFirst Baptist Ministries in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. . ``You can try to read bias into it, but I would suggest that the facts would contradict con·tra·dict v. con·tra·dict·ed, con·tra·dict·ing, con·tra·dicts v.tr. 1. To assert or express the opposite of (a statement). 2. To deny the statement of. See Synonyms at deny. that,'' he said. ``People do all kinds of things in life - like a lawyer or doctor - I happen to be a minister. I'm not ashamed of that. If I was a pig farmer, I'd still feel the same.'' In the upcoming months, district officials will continue looking at ways to relieve overcrowding, Walker said. ``It doesn't make sense at this point (to break the lease) until we know more,'' he said. ``It's premature. But if someone shows we need this school, I'll make the motion.'' The board plans to vote on rescinding Grace Brethren's termination agreement at the next school board meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. March 18 at Simi Valley City Hall, 2929 Tapo Canyon Road. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Grace Brethren Elementary School, owned by the Simi Valley Unified School District, is awaiting the district's decision on its future. Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News |
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