Readers support the Oak Park Measure R school bond

I am proud to represent Oak Park residents in the Assembly and am pleased to have this opportunity to express my strong support for the Measure R school bond, which will appear on the November ballot.

Measure R will fund highpriority, basic repairs to aging Oak Park schools and classrooms, such as replacing failing roofs and meeting new health and safety standards. It is the first local school bond in 30 years. It will also qualify the Oak Park school district to apply for state matching grants.

Measure R will benefit property values while ensuring that Oak Park students have a safe environment in which to receive a high-quality education.

Please vote "Yes on R" on Nov. 4. Julia Brownley Brownley is an Assemblymember in the 41st District

When I heard some of the ladies at my gym talking about the measure to repair the Oak Parks schools I decided to do some homework. What I found was that even though the average school is 25 years old, this the very first measure to repair our schools since they were built.

I heard talk about how much our taxes would go up if this passed. I found out that even with the new measure our taxes will go down compared to the past because the old school bonds are almost paid off.

This is like when you buy a house and finally pay off the loans and then take out a smaller refinance to remodel and repair so you can use your house for many more years.

I have taught in LAUSD for 20 years and my children have been at private school, LAUSD, LVUSD and OPUSD. I know good schools when I see them and Oak Park schools are the best anywhere.

I think it is sad that community members whose children no longer attend our schools would even consider not supporting our community and its schools, especially at even lower tax levels than in the past.

Please support our schools but only after you have done your own homework and not based on just what the rumors are. Linda Kapitz Oak Park

A few people have opposed Oak Park schools' Measure R to repair our schools and have provided inaccurate information in their arguments. In fact, the actual tax rate is $44.87 per year per $100,000 of assessed value.

The average assessed value of a residence in Oak Park is $400,000, so the cost of the measure is $179.48 per year on the average. If housing prices go down and a residence is reassessed this amount can also be reduced.

Also the combination of all school taxes is decreasing every year as the existing bonds expire so that the taxes we are paying are less compared to the last 20 years. These figures are available from Ventura County Tax Assessor and can be seen in chart form at www.oakparkmeasurec.com.

Measure R has been endorsed by the Ventura County Professional Firefighters Association, Ventura County Deputy Sheriff's Association, Agoura Oak Park Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, Assemblymember Julia Brownly, The Ventura County Star and The Acorn.

Measure R, if passed, will accomplish the following: repair, renovate and improve aging facilities; repair water damage and failing roofs; remove hazardous materials; make schools earthquake safe; replace outdated fire and security systems, and improve classrooms to modern safety and instructional standards.

This is a basic, no-frills, much needed measure to repair Oak Park schools for the first time since the inception of the district 30 years ago. Other communities have supported such measures to repair their schools, and it's time for Oak Park to do the same. In fact, we are the only unified district in Ventura County that has not passed a bond for renovation and repairs.

I hope voters do their own homework. You, too, will see why Measure R deserves your yes vote. Ragini Aggarwal Oak Park

Please join us in supporting Measure R for Oak Park schools. If this bond passes, it will be the first bond in 30 years that is specifically for basic classroom and school repairs. It will ensure a safer setting for our Oak Park children to learn in.

And for those of you who don't have children in the schools, you know that the quality of the local schools is a big part of property values. State funding is inadequate to pay for larger school repairs such as replacing falling roofs and outdated fire alarms and security systems. The state government expects communities to pass bond measures to pay for these repairs.

All of our neighboring school districts have already passed similar bond measures, and after 30 years, it's time for Oak Park to do the same. Please keep our children safe and our schools strong by voting yes on Measure R. Cindi and Fred Gortner Oak Park

I wasn't living in Oak Park in 1977, but I am thankful for the 93 percent of our residents who passed a bond to build our schools.

Now it is my turn to vote in November to repair those schools that have served our community so well for many years. My worst nightmare would be if our students get injured or worse due to our neglect as a community. I urge the residents of Oak Park to stand by the commitment that was started in 1977 and vote yes on measure R.

That is the way I will vote. Laura Ornstein Oak Park