District puts bond measure to work





The first issuance of Measure G bond funds for facility improvements and technology is underway at the Las Virgenes Unified School District. Voters approved the $128 million facilities bond measure in June and the first distribution will be $40 million.

Deputy Superintendent Donald Zimring said district staff has been working with a citizens’ oversight committe, school principals and others to develop a list of projects to be funded from the first allocation of money.

Zimring expects the bond money to be issued in three to five installments during 10 to 11 years. The tiered program will be able to address such “unanticipated challenges,” he said.

What will $40 million buy?

Thirteen projects have been identified for the first round of funds. Foremost on the list is the expansion and renovation of Lindero Canyon Middle School in Agoura Hills. The bond money will fund $18 million of the total $21 million cost. Zimring said the district expects to recoup at least $1 million from developer fees and anywhere from $1 million to $5 million from the state in matching grants.

Technology will get infusions of $3 million in the first and third years, he said.

Agoura High School and Calabasas High School are replacing relocatable classrooms at $4 million apiece. Half of the total cost will be paid by developer fees.

Performing arts centers at both high schools have made the initial cut, but the first wave of money will pay for design plans only. Zimring estimated the cost at $1 million for both schools. Once design plans are complete, Zimring hopes both centers will be constructed at the same time.

“I’ve already committed to the superintendent that if we do this, I believe we do both simultaneously,” Zimring said. “That would be a goal, and I think that would be a tremendous accomplishment and a wonderful gift to this community and the children of this community. And I think it can be done.”

Buttercup Preschool will be the recipient of $2.5 million for the construction of “Buttercup East,” Zimring said. Currently, the preschoolers attend classes at four different locations in the district. The new school will centralize services in a convenient east side location, although a site for the school has yet to be determined.

The school district is awash in records and has been paying for offsite storage of documents. Although the digital conversion of these records started seven years ago, previous bond money ran out before the job was complete. Zimring said provisions have been established to complete the conversion in three installments of $250,000.

Restroom upgrades at Round Meadow Elementary School and A.E. Wright Middle School, both in Calabasas, have been allocated $1 million.

Principals at every school in the district can expect an infusion of money to use for special projects. Secondary schools will receive $100,000 each, while elementary schools will be granted $50,000 apiece. Lindero Canyon Middle School and Yerba Buena Elementary will not receive “site critical” funds since both schools are either undergoing renovation or are under construction.

Zimring said the same program was instituted under Measure R, a $93 million bond measure passed by voters in 1997.

“This proved to be a tremendous asset to the principals and their site councils when we did this for Measure R,” Zimring said. “It showed immediate results to the community and the parents.”

Plans and initial site work for elementary school number nine is estimated to cost $1 million. Construction won’t begin until the second issuance of Measure G funds, and some of the cost will come from the city/school trust.

A large amount of money-$3 million-will be used to install artificial turf at both high schools.

“Football fields are in horrible shape,” Zimring said. “They have become liability issues in some cases.”

Grass fields are prohibitively expensive to maintain and water, Zimring said. He expects artificial turf to be a cost-saving measure both in terms of manpower and water usage.

Alternative energy sources for both high school pools are a project that Zimring said is “near and dear” to his heart. The district expects solar power or other alternative methods to warm the high school pools at an estimated $750,000 total cost.

Solar energy panels are already being installed in two buildings at Lindero Canyon Middle School.

How to spend the money?

Board member Gordon Whitehead thought the list of projects was worthy, but he hoped some money could be used for beautification projects.

“Waiting four years is a long

time,” Whitehead said. “Upgrading the appearance of schools is very important.” Zimring said each school was receiving money to be spent at its discretion, but also pointed out that “fresh eyes” were needed to identify which beautification projects would be best.

He recalled that during the construction of Willow Elementary School, former Superintendent Bud Marley said, “When you live in a house that has a hole in the wall for 20 years, you never see the hole in the wall anymore.”

Board member Pat Schulz wondered why the funding for security systems had been dropped. Zimring said security was on the initial list, but it was determined that stabilizing current security systems would be more fiscally prudent.

Board member Dave Moorman would like alternative energy used at other schools. But installation costs are “huge” according to Zimring, and the “cost-to-payback” period will be longer than

the five to seven years by which developers typically expect to see a project pay off.

Moorman said a middle school in San Diego was actually making money on solar panels by selling energy back to other agencies.

As for one-time funds from the state, Superintendent Sandra Smyser said she hopes schools use the money for programs and supplies. Guidelines are being developed for principals, and she said the money must align with the board’s “dynamics” and with instruction.


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