Schools Solicit Voter Support for Repairs

With Conejo Valley school officials considering a possible bond issue to help repair and refurbish aging buildings, the district will hold a series of meetings to solicit voter support.

“The community has to be involved,” said Conejo school board member Dorothy Beaubien. “It’s their money.”

Those attending the meetings will hear in detail why the Conejo Valley Unified School District needs revenue. School populations are expected to rise. Thirty-year-old buildings need to be modernized or repaired.

“All you have to do is go to Thousand Oaks High School, look in the bathrooms and you’ll see the need for this,” said Gary Mortimer, assistant superintendent for business services.

Many schools need air-conditioning and heating systems. And the district needs some way to pay for new facilities if it hopes to extend the popular class-size reduction initiative into additional grades.

Following this month’s passage of school bonds in Ventura, Ocean View and Oxnard, Conejo Valley district officials say the time may be right to seek passage of their first bond measure in years. A recent survey of Thousand Oaks voters suggested they may approve such a measure, Mortimer said.

“It’s not easy to do, but I’m optimistic that our community would support this,” he said.

Two meetings are scheduled for June 25 at the district’s headquarters, 1400 E. Janss Road. The first meeting that day will begin at noon, the second at 6 p.m.

School district trustees will also discuss the bond proposal at their meeting Thursday. A second board meeting on the issue has been scheduled for 8 a.m. June 27.

Trustees must vote by July 3 to pursue the bond measure if they hope to put that measure before voters this fall.