SVUSD BOND PANEL UPSET WITH BOARD TOO LITTLE DATA, TOO LATE, GROUP SAYS.

Byline: Angie Valencia-Martinez Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - A committee overseeing spending of the school district's $145 million bond program has struggled to execute its role, members said this past week.

Officials with the Simi Valley Unified School District are not relaying information in a timely manner to the 12-member committee, they said.

``My big problem is that it does seem like we are always getting information after the fact,'' said member Ed Abele, a deputy district attorney and former school board candidate. ``Also, we don't have much authority in terms of giving input.

``We are just having info thrown to us after the fact, and they go on about their business. We're not fulfilling the function of oversight.''

Voters in March approved the $145 million bond issue, which will finance modernization and new construction at the district's 29 schools over a 10-year period.

California law governs the formation of and rules for oversight committees in accordance with bond initiatives. The committee's role is to review and report on the spending for school construction. No funds are to be allocated for salaries or other school operating obligations.

Simi Valley and Royal high schools are currently undergoing major makeovers. Oversight committee members cited work there as an example of their frustrations.

They say the district already had selected a contractor for the work without first seeking the committee's recommendation or suggestion.

Members of the group first met in April. Currently, the committee meets every other month in the district office.

Headed by chairman Chris Hamilton, a CPA, and vice chairman Paul Miller, mayor-elect, the committee reviews projects, construction plans, tentative schedules for work, among other things - at the direction of the district.

Eric Cohen, publicity chairman of the independent citizens' oversight committee, said the panel's sole concern has been the timely delivery of information out of the district office.

Members of the committee urged school board members this past week to change that. Cohen said they had communicated their frustration to district staff, but this was the first time they brought it to the board's attention.

``There were projects that started prior to the approval of the bond and formation of the committee,'' he said, ``Projects that we were able to review only after they begun. In the future, we would like to make sure we can review them before they're started.

``This is a win-win when we do our thing. Having an oversight committee creates a comfort level for the people in the community to know that people outside the district, outside of the board, are reviewing what's being done with the best interest of the community at heart.''

Mel Roop, the district's assistant superintendent of facilities and property, who is the primary contact for the committee members, said district officials did not feel they were handing out information in an untimely manner.

``We've been giving them all the information they've asked for,'' he said. ``We feel we've been giving them stuff as soon as possible.''

And as for awarding the contracts without the committee's input, Roop said neither the committee nor district officials have much say when it comes to the selection of bidders. The lowest bidders get the contract. School board members asked staffers to be certain the committee is provided with any public information and get it about the same time as they do in the future.

Also, trustees decided to place time on their regular agenda for the committee to share information with and update the board on a regular basis.

``My goal is to keep the communication as open as possible ... work with this committee to keep this clean so they can do their job and not impede their ability to do that,'' said school board member Janice Di Fatta.

``I don't doubt for a minute that we don't share common goals: get the work done and well.''

Angie Valencia-Martinez, [phone]

angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com