Oxnard District Comes Under Fire for Action on Proposed School Site

Farmers and environmentalists are angry at the Oxnard Elementary School District for disregarding a decision by a state agency that aimed to block construction of a school on farmland.

“We’re certainly not happy,” said Julie Bulla, senior planner for the Ventura County Agricultural Department. “It’s really quite unfortunate that the school district seems to be ignoring the unanimous decision of a body like LAFCO.”

One month after the Local Agency Formation Commission rejected a request to annex the land to the city, the school district asked board members Wednesday to approve a resolution authorizing an agreement directly with the city.

The agreement would allow the city to provide public services directly to the site, a 14-acre sod field just east of Oxnard’s city limits. The City Council is expected to consider a similar resolution next week.

For more than two years, opponents have been speaking out against the site, as farmers called for the preservation of agricultural land and environmentalists warned about possible dangers from pesticide drift.

The site, at the east end of Emerson Avenue and Gershwin Place, adjoins strawberry fields.

“[School district officials] obviously have little concern about land-use issues,” said Rex Laird, president of the Ventura County Farm Bureau. “In a crass sense, it’s like they are thumbing their nose at a state-regulated agency.”

Kim Uhlich, analyst for the Environmental Defense Center in Ventura, said the school district’s action frustrated her. “It’s upsetting to think they are doing an end run around the process that has been in place.”

A report issued Wednesday by the center, a nonprofit advocacy group, casts doubt on the official environmental study done on the school site, Uhlich said. The report says the school’s environmental impact report was flawed because it underestimated “the potential risk to students and staff.”

Ventura County Supervisor John Flynn said he believes the school district is trying to violate county and city policies by sidestepping LAFCO, an agency that makes decisions on land use and city boundary changes.

“I’m really upset about it, because there are several sites the district could use,” said Flynn, who sits on a committee of community members working on ideas for future school sites in Oxnard.

Schools Supt. Richard Duarte said he wants to keep all options open, because land is scarce and the district is going to have to build several schools in the next decade to accommodate a growing enrollment.

The site, which was initially planned for the Juan Soria School, has been approved by the school board, City Council and state officials.

The district is still negotiating with the property owner to buy the sod field.