Board to determine fate of area schools
Possible closures of 3 Camarillo schools have parents, teachers at odds
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers SCHOOL PRIDE- Camarillo Heights Elementary School students rally at Constitution Park last Friday to protest the possible closure of their school. Faced with declining enrollment, Pleasant Valley School District officials said the closure of three schools would help save the district $1.5 million a year. The money would be used to raise teachers' salaries.

Last night, the Pleasant Valley School District was expected to determine which neighborhood schools it would close. Visit www.thecamarilloacorn.com to read more about the board's decision.

The hot-button issue has sparked citywide concern and pitted teachers seeking pay raises against parents who want their neighborhood schools to remain open.

At a special school board meeting last week that drew about 200 people to La Mariposa Elementary School, teachers asked trustees to make good on a promise made to them 10 years ago to raise their salary, while parents urged the board not to close neighborhood or alternative schools.

A citizens committee and district officials recommended closing Camarillo Heights Elementary, Los Altos Middle and Los Primeros Structured schools. District officials said the money- about $1.5 million- would be used to raise teachers' salaries and improve their benefits.

Teachers said they haven't complained about their salaries and benefits before because they were confident the district would eventually improve the situation.

"Teachers may not always be vocal, but they are watching," Brenda Schearer, a 16year teaching veteran, said. "Please put your money where your mouth is."

Some parents were upset to hear teachers whose school isn't on the chopping block say they support the committee's recommendation.

"If it were their school closing, would they be so willing to speak in favor of closing schools?" said Michelle Carvalho, a parent from Camarillo Heights. "Those teachers should grab their dictionaries and look up the words 'solidarity' and 'unity.'"

The district doesn't anticipate any teacher layoffs if schools are closed.

Trustees called the special board meeting to ask staff questions on the recommendation and explore other options. Superintendent Ken Moffet said he asked a uniformed police officer to be present at the meeting because previous discussion on the issue with parents had become tense.

Camarillo Heights parents have criticized plans to close the school because their children would have to cross one of the city's busiest thoroughfares. The 50-year-old elementary school is the only campus north of Las Posas Road.

The trustees asked about the outcome if the district closed two schools and left Camarillo Heights open.

Officials said closing just two schools wouldn't give the district enough money to raise teachers' salaries closer to the county average; for that kind of raise, the district must close three schools. Combine those savings- which equals a teachers' raise of 4 percent- with the 4 percent increase expected from the state next school year and the salary gap is narrowed substantially, district officials said.

Pleasant Valley and its teachers union agreed on an 8 percent salary raise earlier this month.