MOORPARK : Panel Collects Data on School Upgrades

A committee of 29 Moorpark parents, teachers, administrators and residents appointed to suggest improvements to the city’s five elementary schools is making progress toward its goal of recommending changes this spring, committee members said.

“We’re just pulling in every scrap of information we can find,” said David Pollock, chairman of the Committee for Effective Schools. “We want to make sure that we’ve looked down every alley before we start making any recommendations.”

Pollock said the committee, appointed by the Moorpark Unified School District board in September, has spent the bulk of its first five meetings organizing itself and coming together as a cohesive unit.

At the group’s Nov. 17 meeting, members were divided into three groups. One of the groups will prepare a communitywide survey on educational goals and opinions; another will pore through the extensive research materials already collected by the committee, and the third will assess the current status of the district’s schools.

The committee is taking a broad look at elementary education, discussing potential improvements to programs that could include new magnet schools, open enrollment and changes in school configuration, Pollock said.

Committee meetings are open to the public and are held at 7 p.m. in the Board Room of the district offices at 30 Flory Ave. The next two meetings are scheduled for Dec. 1 and Jan. 5. Letters can be sent to the committee in care of the Moorpark Unified School District, 30 Flory Ave., Moorpark, CA 93021.