Oxnard Council to Discuss Buying School

After years of sitting idle with a $7-million price tag, the vacated campus of Oxnard High School is on the market at a reduced cost and has drawn several prospective buyers, including the city.

The campus, which sits beneath the approach path to Oxnard Airport, is being advertised for “$4 million or more,” said Eric Ortega, assistant superintendent of business for the Oxnard Union High School District. “It’s very frustrating,” Ortega said Monday of the district’s difficulty in selling the old school. “It costs us a substantial amount to maintain it, so someone really needs to get in there.”

Maintenance of the 33-acre campus at 5th and H streets averages more than $100,000 annually, he said. Ortega declined to name the five or six interested parties. However, he confirmed inquiries from Roberto V. Garcia, a mortuary owner, who wants to build a cemetery, and city officials, who want more recreation facilities.

The Oxnard City Council plans to discuss the purchase at its regular meeting tonight. Ortega said the city is the leading contender because officials have maintained a consistent interest in the site.

Currently, the city uses basketball courts in the school’s gymnasium for the Oxnard Police Department’s Police Activities League, a program for at-risk youth.

Ortega said baseball fields at the old campus are also used by a local seniors league and that various cultural groups use classrooms.

Oxnard City Manager Ed Sotelo was unavailable for comment Monday. According to Ortega, city leaders are interested in acquiring the site for more youth programs and sports fields.

Garcia, the owner of Garcia Mortuary, has said he wants to build a public, nondenominational cemetery, transform classrooms into mausoleums and relocate his business there. He’s not overly hopeful, though, about beating out the city. “The city has a lot of power and they are going to do things their way, but I hope the district looks at all the possibilities,” Garcia said Monday.

The high school was vacated in 1995, prior to the opening of a larger, $33-million Oxnard High School on Gonzales Road.

As part of a financing agreement, the district agreed to give the state the proceeds from the sale of the vacated campus.

State officials required the district to list the property at $7 million and give public agencies preference on the purchase. When no one came forward, the state agreed to a new appraisal, which lowered the asking price to $4 million.

Additionally, district officials opened the bidding process to private entities. Earlier this month, school officials solicited bids from prospective buyers. All bids are due by Nov. 5, Ortega said.