School Board to Look at Selling Property

Simi Valley school trustees will meet tonight to begin considering the sale of some of the district’s surplus property. It will resume its two-part public study session Monday.

Tonight, the board will discuss selling 35 acres of farmland on the corner of Tapo Canyon Road and Alamo Street, and the district’s tree-lined Wood Ranch Conference Center at 222 Country Club Drive.

On Monday, trustees will listen to plans that include selling Arroyo Elementary School, which is being leased to a day-care programs, church groups and other organizations.

Both meetings begin at 5 p.m. and will be held at the Wood Ranch Conference Center.

Dave Kanthak, assistant superintendent of business services, said the ideal plan would be to sell the three properties first. They will be appraised after Thanksgiving, he said.

The board has other options, however.

The district has several closed elementary schools that it could sell too: Walnut Grove and Arcane, which are leased to Grace Brethren Church and School, and Belwood, which is leased to day-care programs and other groups.

Trustee Carla Kurachi said she does not necessarily agree with Kanthak’s recommendation to sell Arroyo first, as new housing developments around the area might lead the district to need the school later.

She said it is not a good enough reason to sell Arroyo first just because the contract with those leasing the site is up sooner than the other schools.

“I know Dave is looking at it from a business point of view and wants the money now,” Kurachi said. “But we need to look at the long term and satisfy the needs of the students.”

In addition, Kanthak said the board should think about selling part of the educational service center at the district offices on Cochran Street and 40 acres in Long Canyon.