PROJECTS IN PERIL AS COSTS SOAR NEW PRIORITIES FOR BOND FUNDS MUST BE SET BY SVUSD BOARD, PARENTS.

Byline: ERIC LEACH Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY -- With construction costs skyrocketing, some planned projects under the bond measure local voters passed two years ago are now in serious jeopardy, school officials said.

Because of that, Simi Valley Unified School District officials are asking residents to attend the Board of Education's Tuesday meeting to review construction priorities.

Since 2004, when voters approved the Measure C-4 bond issue to provide $145 million for renovating campuses in the district, building costs have increased substantially, said Michael McCaffrey, chairman of the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee.

``Our most current data shows building costs are running 10 (percent) to 20 percent higher than originally anticipated,'' he said. ``If these increases continue, it will make it impossible to complete all the renovations and upgrades that were planned unless other funding sources are found.''

Before voters approved Measure C-4, they were given a detailed list of projects that had been developed with advice from parents, teachers and others with a stake in the district.

The projects included repairing and upgrading roofs, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, play areas and libraries, but many might not be completed because of the rising construction costs, officials said.

The district has already completed bond projects at Simi and Royal high schools, including new electrical equipment and upgraded bathrooms in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The classrooms were rewired at both high schools for the latest computer technology.

Atherwood Elementary School is being completely remolded in preparation for an expected increase in enrollment from the Big Sky housing development.

School board member Greg Stratton said it is hard to predict where construction costs will be in the future, and the district has to be careful about how it spends the rest of the bond money.

``It's a big decision,'' he said. ``We've been watching construction and adjusting the scope of what we're trying to do to keep it within the costs. It's somewhat of a moving target, because we don't know how much longer the costs will continue to go up like this.''

McCaffrey said the school district has made it clear it wants to complete projects in all schools that fall under the mandated categories of the ADA and other projects having to do with student safety.

But the school board is reviewing what can be accomplished with the available bond money, and a new list of priorities might need to be established.

eric.leach(at)dailynews.com

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IF YOU GO

The Simi Valley Unified School District's Board of Education is scheduled to meet regarding the bond projects at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 2929 Tapo Canyon Road.

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