HIGH COSTS FORCE CHANGES SVUSD BOARD TO REPRIORITIZE BOND-FUNDED PROJECTS.Byline: Angie Valencia-Martinez Staff Writer 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. - Escalating construction costs have forced school district administrators to reassess a 10-year bond schedule that could eliminate a number of planned projects. Mel Roop, 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 facilities and property for the Simi Valley 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. , said officials are trying to cut two years off that schedule to head off cost increases. ``The longer it takes, the less we'll be able to do,'' he said. ``Each year construction costs go up. The main thing we can do to avoid that is to do projects much sooner.'' Local voters approved Measure C4 last year, a $145 million bond measure to renovate the district's aging schools. The bond was to finance improvements and upgrades at all 29 schools in the district over a decade. But now the district faces a possible $12 million shortfall if it sticks to the 10-year plan, school board President Janice DiFatta said. Shaving two years off the schedule would result in a $3 million deficit. In either case, district officials will have to rearrange re·ar·range tr.v. re·ar·ranged, re·ar·rang·ing, re·ar·rang·es To change the arrangement of. re priorities. ``There's going to be a certain amount of work that can't be done,'' DiFatta said. ``We're trying to minimize that. That's one way to do that. ``We don't have the ability to keep up. Our hope was to get all the schools modernized. While we're able to make a significant dent, we all recognized that the bond wasn't going to handle everything.'' The school board is expected to review an updated plan in the next several weeks; then the panel will take some action. ``We have to decide which of the projects we definitely have to do and which we don't,'' Roop said. ``It's clear we have to take action very soon.'' Red flags were raised after modernization of Royal High School came in $1.5 million over budget for a total of $8.7 million. The Ventura County Community College District also was forced to shelve shelve v. shelved, shelv·ing, shelves v.tr. 1. To place or arrange on a shelf. 2. some projects from its wish list since Measure S, a $356 million bond, was passed in March 2002. ``I can't do an estimate of what the shortfall is,'' said Eric Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. , a member of the Simi Valley oversight committee that monitors bond expenditures. ``I'd be surprised if it was under 15 percent. ``There should be some open discussion to realign re·a·lign tr.v. re·a·ligned, re·a·lign·ing, re·a·ligns 1. To put back into proper order or alignment. 2. To make new groupings of or working arrangements between. some priorities. We can't wait much longer. The longer we wait, the harder it is to make choices and make adjustments.'' Roop said the bond has lost some of its purchasing power Purchasing Power 1. The value of a currency expressed in terms of the amount of goods or services that one unit of money can buy. Purchasing power is important because, all else being equal, inflation decreases the amount of goods or services you'd be able to purchase. 2. due to a rise in building material costs, inflation and demand for labor due to other school districts having passed bonds. Up to now, Simi Valley and Royal high schools and Atherwood Elementary School elementary school: see school. have undergone bond-financed improvements. Angie Valencia-Martinez, (805) 583-7604 angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com |
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