Work on Schools’ Infrastructure Begun

Nearly two months after the passage of an $88-million school construction bond, work has begun on the technology infrastructure at some of Conejo Valley Unified’s 29 school sites.

However, that is just the beginning of a busy year of planning and starting projects at Conejo Valley schools. Shortly after the new year, the district’s bond oversight committee will present the Board of Education with a preliminary list of suggested projects.

The list includes installing air-conditioning and heating systems, building classrooms to accommodate class size reduction and growth, new parking lots at the Redwood and Colina middle schools and a variety of roofing repair projects and asphalt work, all to be completed by September.

Several committees have been formed to study a number of the larger projects, to be funded with the first $30 million of bonds. A committee of principals, teachers, parents and school staff will begin planning the $8-million proposal to build gymnasiums at the four middle schools.

Another committee was formed to study creation of the proposed $9-million Dos Vientos Elementary School to accommodate residents of 2,350 new homes planned for the Dos Vientos housing development in Newbury Park.

“We are looking at the possibility of using the basic design used for the Lang Ranch Elementary School,” said Gary Mortimer, the district’s assistant superintendent of business services. “We are going to be looking there to see what we did right and what we did wrong.”

The district is also applying for funds from Proposition 1A, a statewide school construction measure approved by voters this year. The district is eligible to receive as much as $39 million.

Installing the air-conditioning will be one of the most challenging of the projects, because contractors, equipment and supplies are in high demand. The most difficult air-conditioning projects will be at Newbury Park High School, because of its size, and Manzanita Elementary, because additional power will have to be routed to the school.

As a result, Mortimer said, those two schools will probably be the last to have air-conditioning by the start of the 1999-2000 school year.