MOORPARK : Schools to Seek Loan to Install Bleachers

The board of the Moorpark Unified School District on Wednesday approved borrowing up to $530,000 to finance a new athletic stadium.

After hearing pleas from a group of community leaders who have been raising money for the stadium, the board voted 3 to 1 to take out a five- to six-year bank loan to install 6,000 bleacher seats around a new athletic field at Moorpark High School.

Board member Clint Harper abstained, saying he did not understand the financial implications of the loan well enough to approve it. “These are very rough times and I don’t think we can float too many half-million dollar loans and survive what’s coming down from Sacramento,” he said.

Board member Pam Castro cast the sole dissenting vote, saying she would prefer that a community group finance the project, with the district backing it as a co-signer.

The district took action after the community group, called the Moorpark Athletic Community Complex Committee, asked the district for financial help because it was unable to finance the stadium seating on its own. The board approved the loan with the understanding that the group will repay it.

“We’ve come to ask you as leaders to take a chance,” said Patty Waters, coordinator of the committee.