Parents Protest Plan to Sell Elementary School

Concerned about enrollment gains and overcrowded schools, some parents are protesting school district plans to sell a shuttered elementary school.

Simi Valley school officials say Belwood and Walnut Grove schools are in disrepair and should be sold to generate revenue for renovations at other schools. Two other closed sites--Arcane and Arroyo--will be retained in case future growth demands their reopening.

Minimum bids of $1.2 million for Belwood are due to be accepted by the board beginning May 26. Walnut Grove is scheduled to go up for sale June 23 at $1.25 million.

Some parents say selling Belwood is a bad idea, considering the amount of growth taking place in the east end of Simi Valley. They plan to appear with other parents at tonight’s board meeting to lobby against the sale.

“Choosing to sell for a fast $1.2 million is shortsighted planning when you look at growth projections,” said Nan Mostacciuolo, an east end parent. “That $1.2 million is a drop in the bucket compared to what it’s going to cost to build a new school when it’s needed.”

Belwood was closed in the 1980s due to a slump in enrollment, said Simi Valley Unified School District Business Manager Lowell Schultze. It has recently been leased to various community preschool programs.

Schultze said the district would have to spend more than $1 million to bring Belwood up to code if it were to be reopened, and that the space is not needed despite a 2% increase in districtwide enrollment each year since 1995.

There are 19,021 students enrolled this school year, Schultze said, compared to 18,588 last year. In the 1994-95 school year, enrollment was at 17,896.

*

“Enrollment has been up lately, but we looked at that growth and decided the Belwood site is not necessary,” Schultze said.

Mostacciuolo said if Belwood is not worth fixing, the district should at least retain the property in case it’s decided a new school must be built in the area years from now.

“We don’t feel it’s important to hold on to that property in the long term,” Schultze responded. “We already have land available on other campuses.”

Board President Janice DiFatta agreed, saying there is plenty of land at existing schools to add portable classrooms or build permanent additions if needed.

Jennifer Lacey, who has three children at Big Springs Elementary, doesn’t like that idea.

“Portables don’t help the environment for kids,” Lacey said. “They need play space, cafeterias and bathrooms.”

DiFatta also said there is also the option of shifting school boundaries to ease overcrowding, if necessary. But Lacey said that would amount to just shuttling students from one crowded school to another.

“If we’re already full to capacity, drawing new boundaries won’t solve anything,” Lacey said. “I’m saying we should accommodate a community that’s growing, and I would expect the board to see that vision.”

Lacey said her concern began last week when she learned about the new 250-unit Silverthorne housing development being built near her home on Texas Avenue.

“When the sales office told me Big Springs was flagged as the local elementary school, I was shocked. It’s two miles away and already crowded,” Lacey said. “That made me wonder why would they sell Belwood with all these new homes being built?”

Lacey has distributed about 60 fliers to parents at Big Springs School, asking them to attend tonight’s meeting.

“In my opinion, the board is not being realistic about growth,” Lacey said. “Holding on to Belwood seems like such a simple solution. Yet to them, it is not even an option.”

*

DiFatta said the district is dealing with growth by opening the new Wood Ranch Elementary School. She also said she anticipates the reopening of Arcane School in western Simi Valley if enrollment warrants it in a few years.

As for Belwood, DiFatta said she does not see enough growth in the area to justify keeping the school.

“There’s no sense holding on to superfluous property the district doesn’t need,” DiFatta said. “We’re prepared to deal with growth when it comes, but from our end, selling Belwood is not going to present any problem for our students.”