DISTRICT MAY DRAW ON BOND FUNDS CASH ADVANCE NEEDED FOR CONTINUATION SCHOOL.Byline: Sabrina Decker Staff Writer 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. - Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwest Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States. It was discovered in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, and eventually became part of the Rancho El Conejo land grant by Unified has proposed drawing on $9.8 million in bond funds to help finance construction of a new continuation high school A continuation high school is an alternative to a comprehensive high school primarily for students who are considered at-risk of not graduating at the normal pace. The requirements to graduate are the same but the scheduling is more flexible to allow students to earn their credits , drawing protests from some members of the bond advisory committee. Although school officials say the bulk of the bond funds will be repaid once the old campus property is sold, critics argue that money from Measure R is supposed to go to upgrade existing schools, not build new ones. And critics further argue that money for the continuation school continuation school: see vocational education. - part of a new complex that would include classrooms for Moorpark College Moorpark College is a California-state funded community college located on a 134 acre (542,000 m²) property reclining on a hill in Moorpark, a town in Ventura County, California. - could be better spent on campuses with more kids. ``There are 200 children, not even 200, that attend that school, and most finish by 1:30. We need to help the maximum number of children possible with that bond money,'' said Debbie Gregory, a member of the committee. District administrators say the 75-year-old building that houses the continuation school, Conejo Valley High, is beyond repair and needs to be demolished. Building the new, joint-use facility next to district headquarters on Janss Road represents the best answer to house the students, and the college's participation will help fund expenses, said Gary Mortimer Gary Mortimer (born 1967, Bristol, England) Hot air balloon Pilot and current holder of the South African Hot Air Balloon Altitude record. The record was set on 9th May 2005 when he flew to an altitude of 30,334ft with DJ Lev David, on a flight in the KwaZulu-Natal region of , the district's assistant superintendent Assistant Superintendent, or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), was a rank used by police forces in the British Empire. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held by a European officer, most of whom joined the police at this rank. of business services. ``The continuation high school children are children, too,'' Mortimer said. ``The building is substandard substandard, adj below an acceptable level of performance. . ... The property is simply not well- suited to have a school.'' The $13 million project would be financed by borrowing $6 million from Measure R, the $88 million bond approved by voters in 1998, which would be repaid once the high school's 10-acre site in Newbury Park is sold. The district would also use $1.2 million from Measure R that had already been allocated for renovations at the campus - $129,000 of that money was already spent on new roofing and technology wiring. The district would also use an additional $1.4 million from Measure R, as well as a $1.2 million allocation that was not needed for an adult school. The remaining $3.4 million would be borrowed from sources other than the bond funds. ``If we move it over here, we can do a cooperative venture that would help us pay for it and help pay for long-term maintenance and upkeep,'' Mortimer said. Ultimately the proposal must go before the school board for approval. ``The voters approved $1.2 million to renovate it, not $13 million to move everything around in the district,'' advisory committee member David Ayers David Ayers is an American actor, born in 1978 in Worthington, Ohio, USA. Ayers made his Broadway debut as an ensemble member in the musical Mamma Mia! He was later the first to play the role of Fyedka in the revival of Fiddler on the Roof in 2004. said. The Bond Facility Projects District Advisory Committee voted unanimously to postpone a vote until after the outcome of the state school bond measure in November. Conejo Valley Unified is eligible for about $50 million in state bond money, if voters pass the measure this fall and the state agrees to award the district the full amount. Conejo Valley High School is eligible for about $730,000 in state bond money for modernization of the existing campus. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion