Opponents raise new doubt over Oak Park school bond

With the Nov. 7 election only two weeks away, opponents to measure H6 in Oak Park have raised new concerns about the $71-million school facilities bond.

Donna Klugman is upset that the Parent Teacher Association at her child's Oak Park school helped fund the district's facilities bond campaign on the Nov. 7 ballot. Parent/teacher groups contributed more than $17,000 to the H6 campaign and $16,600 to the failed B6 campaign last June.

"I'm sure a lot of PTA members don't realize PTA money is being used to pay for bond campaigns," Klugman said. "It's supposed to be for P.E. and music teachers."

She said other parents share her concerns.

The parent/teacher groups at Red Oak and Oak Hills elementary schools, Oak Park High and Medea Creek Middle School each contributed $3,000 to the H6 campaign. Brookside Elementary PTA donated $5,200.

According to Peter Kristensen, H6 committee chair, other donations have come from architectural, construction and bonding firms raising nearly $58,000.

The money has gone toward a consultant and to publicize the bond through signs and mailers, Kristensen said. The phone calls and door-to-door campaigning have been done by volunteers.

Oak Park has three types of parent/teacher organizations. Brookside and Oak Hills have PTAs. Under state guidelines, PTA chapters may donate up to 5 percent of their annual budget to ballot measure campaigns, if their boards agree, said Vicki Leungthe Brookside PTA president.

Oak Park High and Medea Creek have Parent Faculty Clubsindependent organizations under the umbrella of the Oak Park Community Foundation, a nonprofit group that oversees severaOak Park grants and groups.

Red Oak has a Parent Faculty Association, an independent body governed by its own bylaws, said PFA President Susie Harris.

The executive boards of each group voted to support the bondbut not all votes were unanimousThe Oak Park High PFC board was divided, said President Diana Traficante, because parents expect donations to directly benefit students.

"We did weigh it, but our campus is the worst. It could be a disaster if this bond doesn't go through," Traficante said.

President David Ross said not all of the the Community Foundation's trustees agreed with the decision to permit PFC contributions.

"I know there is some feeling that perhaps there is some flaw in the law and that spending money on ballot proposals should not be allowed," Ross said.

The Brookside board viewed the donation as an investment. The contribution is a small percentage of Brookside PTA's annual budget of about $107,000, Leung said.

"I had parents ask 'Why can't we give more?'" Leung said.

Nothing about PTA business is hidden, added Leung, and parents are welcome at meetings. Minutes are on the school's website or in hard copy.

Said Tony Knight, OPUSD superintendent."We're grateful to

the PTA's for their support and role of advocacy for their children."

But the bond campaign funding was not included in the school's September fundraising letter to parents, according to Klugman.

Klugman said she's not against bond measures for scool repairs, but believes Measure H6 is asking too much. She does not support remodeling of buildings with new solar panels and windows, but would have supported the construction of a pool at Oak Park High, which is no longer on the project list.

"A pool could have made money for the district through swimming lessons, entrance fees," Klugman said.

Las Virgenes Unified School District voters passed a $128 million school bond measure last June, but parent/teacher groups did not contribute to the campaign, said Donald Zimring, the Las Virgenes schools deputy superintendent. The campaign was funded by developers, contractors and others who do project work in the district, Zimring said.