NEW FIRM WILL RUN C4 BOND SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY MOVE WILL SAVE DISTRICT MILLIONS.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. - A new program-management company will oversee the bond at Simi Valley public schools, a move district officials say should save millions of dollars. The effort comes at a time when it's becoming increasingly challenging for districts across the state to complete all bond projects because of escalating construction costs. The school board last week voted to hire the new firm, Program Management Inc., and not renew a contract with PinnacleOne. The five-year agreement with PMI See Private Mortgage Insurance. is expected to save the district up to $5 million. ``We want to save as much money as we can,'' said school board member Rob Collins. ``We don't have enough money to do what we originally intended to do.'' The contract with PMI requires a 30-day transition period, and the district will have to hire a construction manager. PinnacleOne oversaw o·ver·saw v. Past tense of oversee. the program management and construction management. Into the second year of construction, several bond projects have exceeded original estimates and the board of education is desperate to cut costs where possible. Already, school leaders are having to scale back projects, paid for by the bond measure approved by local voters in 2004. Measure C4 was to finance modernization modernization Transformation of a society from a rural and agrarian condition to a secular, urban, and industrial one. It is closely linked with industrialization. As societies modernize, the individual becomes increasingly important, gradually replacing the family, and new construction of Simi Valley school facilities. The original plan was to make improvements at the district's 29 campuses over a 10-year period. Spiraling construction costs, both for materials and labor, and other factors have forced school officials to overhaul their bond construction process. District leaders are poised to shave shave (shav) 1. to cut at or parallel to the surface of the skin. 2. to remove the beard or other body hair by such a process. 3. to cut thin slices from or to cut into thin slices. years off the schedule to head off cost increases. ``We passed a very large bond,'' said school board President Janice DiFatta. ``At the same time that bond was identified to meet half the needs at Simi Valley. When we are in a position to scale down further it's extremely frustrating frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: .'' The district will be forced to shelve shelve v. shelved, shelv·ing, shelves v.tr. 1. To place or arrange on a shelf. 2. some projects from its original wish list. By streamlining its $145 million construction program, the district will speed up the process to avoid further increases and reprioritize bond-funded projects, officials said. No decision has been made on what projects will be eliminated. ``We know we're running out of money,'' 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. with the bond oversight committee. ``It'll be harder to fulfill these obligations. ``What's going to happen to the projects in the last phase? Our fear is they won't get done at all.'' Red flags were raised after modernization of Royal High School came in $1.5 million over budget. The board recently learned that construction at Atherwood Elementary and the Simi Valley High School Simi Valley High School is a secondary school located in Simi Valley, California which was established in 1920 as the first high school in the valley. It nestles in the Santa Susana Mountains and is adjacent to the San Fernando Valley, part of the city and county of Ventura. stadium project are millions of dollars over budget. Among the proposed changes are building a 2,000-seat stadium, not the 3,000-seat project originally planned. At Atherwood, officials are thinking of replacing some of the classrooms with permanent modulars and building a smaller library and cafeteria cafeteria: see restaurant. . ``Can we get it all done?'' asked Lowell Schultze, associate superintendent of business and facilities. ``We're doing everything we can. ``The PMI proposal was to get it done in a five-year period. That's the goal. We will continue to move forward as quickly as possible and efficiently as possible to get the projects done.'' Angie Valencia-Martinez, (805) 583-7604 angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com |
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