OXNARD : Planning 2 Schools Has Cost $1.9 Million

The Oxnard Union High School District has spent more than $1.9 million so far on architectural plans and other costs to replace Oxnard High School and to build a new school in the district, reports show.

Most of the money has been spent on architectural design, engineering, appraisal and environmental impact reports for the two new schools.

Oxnard High School, on 5th and K streets, is being replaced after state officials declared it unsafe because of its proximity to Oxnard Airport. The district has spent more than $917,000 so far on plans to move the school. Nearly $316,000 of those expenses have been paid by State Allocation Board funds, and the remainder has come from developers’ fees.

Construction of the new Oxnard High School was the subject of controversy last school year when residents from several nearby housing developments complained that they did not want a high school in their neighborhood. The school is expected to cost about $25 million, not including the cost of the land, which officials hope will be donated.

An environmental impact report on three possible sites for the new Oxnard High School is scheduled for completion by mid-September, district business manager Robert Brown said. Two of the sites are south of Gonzales Road near Patterson Road, and the third is north of Gonzales, also near Patterson.

The second new school is estimated to cost as much as $33 million, including more than $8 million to buy the land. More than $1 million has been spent so far on plans for the school, which will be built west of Oxnard Boulevard and south of Gonzales Road.

However, because of state funding shortages, the report recommends against spending more money on the second school until other funding sources are found. The board has hired a consultant to study a possible bond election in Oxnard to provide money for new schools.