OXNARD : District to Pay Part of New Cost for Campus

The tab for building the new Oxnard High School campus has risen a half-million dollars above the initial price tag, but the Oxnard high school district will have to cover only a fraction of the added cost.

The Oxnard Union High School District board on Wednesday will consider requested changes to its contracts with two of the three builders working on the $33-million project.

C.A. Rasmussen Inc. of Simi Valley, which did the grading and other ground preparation of the site, is charging the district $451,160 above its original contract price of $1 million to cover the costs of bringing in additional dirt.

And W.M. Lyles Co. of Camarillo has asked to be paid an additional $59,982, bringing its total contract to nearly $715,000. Lyles’ new charges primarily cover the cost of importing sand for filling in the school’s new sewer line.

Although the Oxnard school district is responsible for paying the amount owed to Lyles, the state has agreed to cover the additional charges by Rasmussen, district officials said.

The state had previously agreed to pay for nearly all of the new campus, which is being built on a site near Gonzales and Patterson roads to replace the existing Oxnard High School campus on Fifth Street.

State education officials agreed with Oxnard school officials that the new school is necessary because the existing high school is in the flight path of Oxnard Airport, posing a danger to students.

Besides Rasmussen and Lyles, a third contractor--Shirley Brothers Inc. of Pasadena--is doing the actual construction of the school for $25.5 million. A fourth contractor is expected to be hired to put finishing touches on the school.