As a concerned citizen, I’m confounded by Conejo Valley Unified School District’s recent action regarding the University Elementary site.

1. The public was told University Elementary was closed to save money and generate revenue by being leased; instead, the child care office has been moved to University and renovations and improvements have been made to the site at, no doubt, a substantial cost.

2. The district still pays for maintenance, custodial care and utilities for University Center. Where are the promised savings?

3. The district already has two existing preschool programs, Neighborhood for Learning and Horizon Hills. Why is the district opening another full-day, market-rate preschool when the Neighborhood City Center isn’t full? Why maintain the cost of two separate programs that aren’t filled to capacity?

4. Will child care pay rent to the district as they’re opening a market-rate preschool at top dollar?

5. The child care money used to start up the new preschool at University was presumably generated from K-5 funds/tuition. It’s now being used for 0-5 children. Is this legal?

6. Now that Bridges Charter School has been approved, it seems fiscally irresponsible for the district to consider converting Horizon Hills, a current preschool, into an elementary school/middle school at the cost of about $1 million while incurring the cost of converting University Elementary School into a preschool. Additionally, by denying Bridges the campus of their choice, the district is risking another lawsuit.

To cut costs, the district is looking at terminating personnel, cutting salaries, shortening the school year and taking money from adult education.

Local PTAs and PFAs are paying for physical education teachers, and art and music programs. Parents are asked to donate paper and make copies because their school can’t afford them. How can the district in good conscience even consider incurring the cost of retrofitting two separate school campuses and starting new programs when we have sufficient existing programs?

Conejo Valley Unified School District owes it to the community to at least consider changing its current course of action regarding the University site.
Carrie Kim
Thousand Oaks