2 Districts Have Bonds in Common

On the surface, it would appear that the communities of Ojai and El Rio have little in common.

Ojai is mostly white, El Rio largely Latino. Educational attainment and per capita income are far greater in the Ojai Valley than in the tiny community north of Oxnard.

Elderly residents make up a larger portion of Ojai’s population than they do in any other local city, while El Rio has one of the youngest populations in Ventura County.

But come election day, school district officials in both communities will pursue a common goal: the passage of multimillion-dollar bond measures to shore up aging facilities, add new classrooms and help launch campuses into a new technological era.

Of the record $197 million being sought by five county school districts on the Nov. 4 ballot, El Rio wants $20 million while Ojai will settle for $15 million.

Campaign supporters in both districts say the money is needed to fix up schools that have fallen deep into disrepair. They point to campuses where ceilings are caving in, paint is peeling and termites are feasting with abandon.

While neither campaign has any organized opposition, supporters of both measures acknowledge that they still could have a tough time overcoming the two-thirds hurdle required for passage.

“We’re talking about plain vanilla,” said Ojai school district Supt. Gwen Gross of the repairs needed in her schools. “But plain vanilla is hard to sell. Our schools do have some curb appeal, but it’s obvious when you walk on our campuses there’s a lot of work to be done.”

Indeed, even critics of the Ojai measure acknowledge that the eight local schools need renovation. The schools are 57 years old on average, and two of the campuses were opened more than 70 years ago.

At Matilija Junior High, for example, there are two restrooms for 700 students. The cafeteria only has capacity for 88 students, forcing youngsters to shuffle through in shifts.

The electrical system is strained beyond capacity, and blackouts are common. Ceiling tiles are caving in, plumbing constantly backs up and termites are having their way with the eaves and foundation.

“This is pretty common for all the campuses,” said Robert Smith, assistant superintendent for business services. “These repairs must be made. There is no other recourse for the district.”

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To boost that effort, supporters of the Campaign For Measure S have launched a grass-roots effort to spread the word about the bond measure and get out the vote next week. The measure would tax property owners an average of $29.83 per $100,000 of assessed valuation.

Starting in the spring, campaign workers organized a series of campus tours aimed at allowing community members to see the needs for themselves. That was followed by a push to register voters, with an emphasis on increasing the number of people who will cast absentee ballots.

Campaign chairwoman Katie Shepherd said there are about 14,000 registered voters in the Ojai district. And with voter turnout not expected to exceed 25%, those mail-in ballots could make the difference come election day.

“People are generally not aware of the condition these schools are in,” said Shepherd, adding that about $8,000 will be spent on the campaign in support of the bond measure. “There are only so many jog-a-thons you can have before you realize you need a school bond to take care of these things.”

However, critics of the measure contend that the money to do repairs and other work on the Ojai campuses could be squeezed out of current and future budgets, if only the district would manage its money better.

Business owner Ben Larner doesn’t disagree that the schools need renovation. But with state revenues increasing, he believes much of that work could be done without a bond sale that will take up to 30 years to repay.

And if the measure passes, he said he doesn’t trust school district officials to spend the money wisely.

“I don’t think they’ve done a good job of allocating funds over the last 10 years to the maintenance of schools,” Larner said. “They’ve let them run down. And my gut feeling is they leave them that way so they can alarm you into voting for the bond.”

District officials say nothing could be further from the truth. If they had the money, they say, they would be making repairs and upgrading facilities.

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Officials said the need is so critical that if the measure fails this time, they will place it on the ballot again next election.

“All that will happen is that the facilities will continue to deteriorate further,” Gross said. “But I like our chances. What I sense is a real community spirit to do what is right.”

In the Rio Elementary School District, officials believe that same kind of community spirit is at play.

While the five campuses in El Rio share many of the same needs as those in Ojai, the Rio district also is grappling with surging enrollment that has packed some schools to the hilt.

With about 3,000 students, the district already is 200 youngsters beyond capacity. And hundreds more students are expected to flood the district in coming years as new housing developments are completed on the north end of Oxnard.

That, coupled with a statewide push to reduce class sizes in primary grades, has spurred district officials to say that they will be forced to consider a year-round schedule if Measure R fails at the polls.

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“We can’t accommodate any more growth,” said Yolanda Benitez, superintendent of the Rio district.

About half of the $20-million measure--$10.4 million--would be used to build a new school on one of two district-owned properties.

In addition, money would be used to add portable classrooms to the five existing campuses in order to push forward with class-size reduction and make room for the rising tide of students.

Moreover, each campus would get $1.5 million to $2.5 million for renovation and modernization, including plans to shore up such basic items as plumbing, heating and lighting.

It’s a grass-roots campaign, and supporters expect to spend less than $5,000 on fliers and other expenses to get the measure over the two-thirds hurdle. If the measure passes, property owners will be taxed at an average of $39.90 per $100,000 of assess valuation.

“Makeup does wonderful things,” campaign chairwoman Clara Ramos said of efforts to keep the campuses looking good. “But we have been really busy talking to voters about all the things that are wrong with the schools that we can’t see from the outside.”

In Wanda Kelley’s fourth-grade class at Rio Real School, the need becomes quickly apparent.

A thick orange extension cord snakes along the floor, delivering electricity to computers and a single fan that provides a futile breeze in a room that is stuffy and hot.

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The plumbing is so bad that the classroom sink dribbles out water the color of copper. And a thick band of black wires pokes out of one wall, serving as a power strip for a television and videocassette recorder.

“These buildings are so old, and with the demand for technology, we just can’t keep up,” Kelley said. “We could have a lot of other things going in here for the kids, but we just don’t have the capability. And it’s not fair to my kids, just flat not fair.”

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Rio Spending Priorities

The Rio School District is asking voters to approve a $20-million bond measure on the Nov. 4 ballot to build new classrooms, boost computer technology and do a range of campus renovations. Here is the district’s projected distribution of dollars:

School: El Rio School

Year built: 1950

Cost to modernize: $1,500,000

* Provide new heating and air-conditioning system

* Improve electrical, fire alarm and communications system

* Provide additional classrooms

* Improve multipurpose room

* Build a new library, and put on a new roof

* Modernize classrooms by upgrading plumbing, lighting and windows

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School: Rio Lindo School

Year built: 1964

Cost to modernize: $2,000,000

* Improve multipurpose room

* Build new library

* Provide a new roof

* Provide more classrooms

* Install new heating and air-conditioning system

* Modernize classrooms by upgrading plumbing, lighting and windows

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School: Rio Plaza School

Year built: 1955

Cost to modernize: $1,800,000

* Provide new heating and air-conditioning system

* Electrical, fire and technological upgrades

* Provide additional classrooms

* Repaint the school and put a new roof on the facility

* Build a new library

* Enlarge school health area

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School: Rio Real School

Year built: 1958

Cost to modernize: $1,800,000

* Provide new heating and air-conditioning system

* Improve electrical, fire and communication systems

* Provide additional classrooms

* Build a new library

* Improve multipurpose room

* Put a new roof on the facility and provide a fresh coat of paint

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School: Rio del Valle School

Year built: 1961

Cost to modernize: $2,500,000 * Provide new heating and air-conditioning system

* Build additional science labs

* Improve locker rooms

* Install a new roof and repaint the school

* Fix drainage problems

* Modernize classrooms with upgraded plumbing, lighting and windows

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OTHER PROJECTS

* Build a new school to address student growth

Cost to modernize: $10,400,000 TOTALS: $20,000,000

Source: Rio School District

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Ojai Spending Priorities

The Ojai Unified School District is asking voters to approve a $15-million bond measure on the Nov. 4 ballot to pay for a range of school improvements. If approved, the money will go to add new classrooms and upgrade existing facilities. Here is the district’s projected distribution of dollars:

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School: Meiners Oaks Elementary

Year built: 1947

Cost to modernize: 1,967,388

* Add additional classrooms

* Replace leaky roofs and expand cafeteria

* Repair restrooms

* Upgrade electrical service and replace sewer lines

* Upgrade heating and ventilation systems

* Eliminate termite infestation and repair termite damage

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School: Mira Monte Elementary

Year built: 1955

Cost to modernize: $1,722,904

* Add new classrooms

* Replace water lines and sewer lines

* Eliminate dangerous congestion in parent drop-off and pickup area

* Upgrade electrical system and replace leaky roofs

* Repair rusted walkway covers

* Enclose outside lunch area

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School: San Antonio Elementary

Year built: 1925

Cost to modernize: $646,024

* Add additional classrooms

* Replace undersized septic system

* Renovate restrooms and replace rusted water pipes

* Upgrade electrical service

* Replace leaky roofs and classroom sinks

* Provide fire alarm and automatic fire protection system

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School: Summit Elementary

Year built: 1925

Cost to modernize: $713,554

* Add new classrooms

* Replace unsafe glass windows with safety glass

* Build library/multipurpose room

* Replace drinking fountains, restroom fixtures and plumbing

* Provide security system

* Replace deteriorating sewer lines

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School: Topa Topa Elementary

Year built: 1958

Cost to modernize: $2,293,302

* Add new classrooms

* Renovate restrooms and expand cafeteria

* Repair broken walks and provide wheelchair access

* Provide security system

* Replace sewer lines and corroded siding

* Replace leaky roofs

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School: Matilija Junior High

Year built: 1929

Cost to modernize: $2,684,814

* Add restrooms and renovate existing facilities

* Replace unsafe glass windows with safety glass

* Replace classroom sinks and drinking fountains

* Replace heating and ventilation units

* Provide automatic fire protection system and fire alarm

* Renovate and expand library

* Eliminate termite infestation and repair termite damage

* Replace leaky roofs

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School: Nordhoff High School

Year built: 1954

Cost to modernize: $3,891,840

* Renovate and expand student restrooms

* Replace water and sewage lines

* Provide fire alarm and automatic fire detection system

* Replace leaky roofs

* Replace classroom sinks and drinking fountains

* Upgrade heating and ventilation systems

* Provide a lunch shelter

* Renovate classrooms to provide adequate work space for teachers and students

* Provide security system

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School: Chaparral High School

Year built: late 1920s

Cost to modernize: $958,565 * Replace existing unsafe glass

* Upgrade electrical service and replace outdated lighting fixtures

* Provide a security system

* Renovate student restrooms

* Eliminate termite infestation and repair termite damage

* Replace original sewage lines

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OTHER PROJECTS

The district’s maintenance yard will undergo repairs to meet environmental standards

Cost to modernize: $121,609

TOTALS: $15,000,000

Source: Ojai Unified School District