SCHOOL PROPERTIES FOR SALE? APPRAISALS BEING CONDUCTED ON 3 SURPLUS PARCELS.

Byline: Angie Valencia-Martinez Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - Faced with declining enrollment, the school district has taken the first step toward selling surplus property by requesting appraisals on three parcels.

The properties under consideration are the Wood Ranch conference center, an equestrian center south of Long Canyon and either Arcane or Walnut Grove Elementary School.

Some board members say the properties must be sold because they need millions of dollars in repairs or are not being used, while others are hesitant to get rid of property the district might need again if enrollment increases.

``I do not even support opening that door,'' said Simi Valley Unified School District board member Debbie Sandland. ``I value property ... once it's gone, it's gone.''

But for board members Greg Stratton and Carla Kurachi, who have been pushing for the sale of unused property, it's a necessity.

``We either need to spend millions getting (the Wood Ranch conference center) fixed up where it is usable, where we can rent it out, or get rid of it,'' Kurachi said. ``It costs us $30,000 every year to maintain.

``We need to project down the road if properties are going to be needed. If they're not and it is costing us money, it's fiscally irresponsible to keep them.''

The appraisals should be ready in the next 60 days, officials said.

After year's of surging enrollment, the district is losing students now as homeowners move to more affordable areas in and outside the state.

The closed schools are in the middle of town, far from the new housing projects on the city's perimeter. But officials who favor keeping the property said they can always redraw boundary lines should they decide to reopen any of the closed campuses.

Sandland said she would consider declaring the equestrian center surplus because it is not being used by the district and is in a remote area. And Kurachi has suggested selling the land to the parks district, which can use it as part of its trail network.

The Wood Ranch conference center is used frequently for meetings but only one room is used. Also, it needs $79,000 worth of roofing work before more of it could be used.

Stratton has said in the past that the closed schools would take millions of dollars to bring up to code.

The district will be spending between $3,000 to $4,000 per appraisal, said Mel Roop, assistant superintendent of facilities and property.

If district leaders want to sell off any of the properties after receiving the appraisals, an advisory committee must be formed to declare the assets surplus.

The sale of the properties can be used for building schools or acquiring other land.

``I am not looking to sell the property for the sake of selling,'' said board President Janice DiFatta. ``I am not anxious to get rid of property because it's our investment into our future. I won't be quick to discard of them.''

In the late 1990s, school board members OK'd the $14 million sale of 35 acres on Tapo Canyon and Alamo Street, which some say could have been the site of a future high school.

Angie Valencia-Martinez, [phone]

angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com