Funding for Schools

Back when Jerry Brown was governor the people of California passed Proposition 103, which held back the raising of property taxes and put a stop to the revenuers taxing people out of their homes. Gov. Brown was so angry that he intentionally cut off services that would be most harmful and visible to the public in order to teach us all a lesson.

Now, with the rejection of the Conejo Valley school bond issue by the voters, Supt. Jerry Gross is threatening us, telling us that maintenance may have to wait.

What’s new, Dr. Gross? Why have these schools been left to deteriorate, as you claim? The answer lies either with those who do the budgets or with those who administrate those budgets.

If not enough money has been allocated for proper maintenance, those doing the budgets owe us an explanation and remedies such as allocating more to maintain our huge investment in these structures.

If enough money has been allocated but has been diverted to other projects or programs, then the school administrators owe us an explanation. They also owe us the effort to reallocate this money back to maintenance and perhaps take some of that money back from wherever it ended up.

As for all the new projects that were needed, there’s no law preventing the group that favored the bond issue from organizing fund-raisers to accomplish what taxpayers refuse to. I’d be glad to help.

MIKE HANNIN

Newbury Park

* District school bureaucrats should take a crash course in humility to cure their arrogant disregard of taxpayers’ pocketbooks.

A crash course in responsible fiscal management would also be helpful.

Finally, these districts should sell off idle school district properties and either pay off indebtedness secured by such properties or invest the proceeds to generate interest income for the districts. Return these properties to the tax rolls so tax revenue will be generated each year rather than hold them in detention from the private sector.

The Moorpark school district could start with the long-vacant property at Peach Hill and Rolling Knoll Road.

RON and SUE RINDGE

Moorpark