Schools to Be Repaid for Improvements

In hope of reimbursement from the then-proposed Measure R school construction bond, numerous schools spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on improvements last year.

The measure passed in November and the schools’ gamble paid off this week when the Conejo Valley Unified School District’s board unanimously approved reimbursing them nearly $300,000, to be paid when the first of $88 million in bonds is sold sometime next month.

Before the election, the board notified schools that certain high-priority projects could be reimbursed with bond money, since the measure sought to rebuild and update schools.

Even with assurances from the board, however, there were risks, because voters had in the past voted down two similar bond measures.

“They took a gamble,” said Gary Mortimer, assistant superintendent of business services.”

Mortimer said the district gave schools until Dec. 15 to request reimbursements. District staff then reviewed those requests to make sure they qualified and that the money had been spent.

“Then we took the project list to the Bond District Advisory Committee for their review, and they unanimously agreed to recommend those projects to the board for reimbursements,” he said.

The schools that will share in the windfall include Newbury Park, Westlake and Thousand Oaks high schools; Colina, Redwood and Los Cerritos middle schools; and Park Oaks, Maple, University, Glenwood, Madrona, Westlake, Banyan and Manzanita elementary schools.

Most of the reimbursements will pay for computer wiring, though schools also paid for new playground equipment, power upgrades, building repairs, and air-conditioning and other improvements.