SIMI VALLEY : Meeting to Focus on Schools in 2001

Simi Valley education officials have scheduled a meeting Wednesday to gather input from the business community on a 10-year plan for the school district.

Chamber of Commerce members and other business people will be asked for their vision of the Simi Valley Unified School District in 2001.

Areas to be discussed include students, instruction, training and advancement, finance, facilities and school-community relations.

Opinions from the business community will be incorporated with comments from other “Education 2001” planning sessions. A report, possibly compiled by an outside source, is expected to be completed by fall and will be used to set district goals and priorities for the next 10 years, said Susan Parks, director of curriculum for the district.

“The hope would be to give the data a high degree of credibility,” Parks said. “A tremendous amount of work has gone into this project. When we’re done, everyone within the district will have had an opportunity to give their opinion.”

School board members in February began pairing up to meet with teachers, classified employees and school psychologists at the district’s 26 schools, as well as the adult education staff. Future meetings are being considered for senior citizens and student government representatives, Parks said.

Long-range goals have been set in the past, but this is the first time the district has gathered public opinion in such a thorough, systematic way, Parks said.

Wednesday’s meeting, to be attended by board members Judy Barry and Doug Crosse, is scheduled at 5 p.m. in the board room at school district headquarters at 875 E. Cochran St.

Two additional meetings, for the general public, are planned for 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. April 29 in the multipurpose room at Sequoia Junior High School, 3570 Cochran St.