District needs to be open about closures

The possible closures of three Camarillo schools have caused concern for a number of parents throughout the city. Additional time on the road, larger schools and class sizes and less specialized attention are among the biggest concerns.

Last night the Pleasant Valley School Board received the list of recommended schools for closure and will now have to decide which campuses will be shuttered. It's expected they will spend the next two weeks weighing their options before making a decision.

Now more than ever the school board must go above and beyond to communicate with parents and let residents know how and why they made their decisions. Parents recognize the selection process is difficult, but they deserve open, honest communication from their elected officials.

Losing a neighborhood school is upsetting for many because it disrupts not only the lives of the students but those of their parents as well.

The school board has come under heavy criticism the past few weeks because many feel the board failed to plan well enough into the future to reduce the number of school closures. However, residents should realize that the primary reason for school closures is the declining student enrollment. If the schools don't have students- the district's top source of revenue- then no matter how well the school board plans, it's nearly impossible to keep schools open.

Fewer young families can afford Camarillo- and its median home price of more than $640,000- which means fewer children are enrolling in local schools. The same issue has plagued Conejo Valley school districts for years. Oak Park Unified School District has been dealing with declining enrollment for nearly two years, forcing them to develop new programs to attract students from neighboring districts.

To compound the issue, the Pleasant Valley School District is in the middle of negotiations with two employee unions and is battling with the Oxnard Union High School District to acquire high school students to become a unified district.

The local school board has a lot on its plate.

Ken Moffett, the district's interim superintendent, has made it a point to be as open with information as possible. He's said that the school closures need to happen and believes that if the issue isn't settled soon, it will be more difficult for the district to attract a qualified candidate for the superintendent job. Moffett is right. It's likely that fewer candidates will apply for the job in June if closure talks are not resolved.

It's inevitable that no matter how the school board votes, people will be upset. To minimize that frustration, the school board should be as open as possible about the closures.