Plan to unify district would bankrupt schools
By John Alamillo Special to the Acorn

Mr. Evan Maysr's participation in the Pleasant Valley School District's budget committee is commendable. While it may be there is no substantial amount of surplus in the PVSD budget, his assumption that unification will cure this district's ills is misguided and shortsighted at best.

His analysis of the revenue generated through unification is correct. PVSD will receive a substantial amount of dollars to the general fund. Yes, by law the PVSD teachers would have to rise to the level of OUHSD teachers in salary and benefits. It is also true that unification may be the "quickest way" to get teachers a raise. However, problems arise when one delves into the expenses associated with increasing and then maintaining the teachers' salaries and benefits and the district's ability to serve our children in a kindergarten-through-twelfth-grade structure that will be woefully underfunded after meeting the obligation to increase salaries, benefits and the laundry list of figures left out or ignored in the feasibility reports generated by PVSD.

Mr. Masyr's figure of $5.5 million would be sufficient to raise the teachers' level of pay and benefits to the higher salary schedule. The problem lies in how you cover the expenses generated from a cafeteria deficit, special education underestimation at both PVSD and Oxnard Union High School District, transportation costs not included in the studies, the need for additional administrators and the revenue lost by leaving 4 grades at Rio Mesa the first year and phasing them in through year five.

ACHS is the most cost dependent site in the OUHSD. The cost overruns are covered by OUHSD's economies to scale model of shifting funds through their six campuses. With one site, and potentially a smaller magnet facility, the new Camarillo district would not have the same level of operational efficiency. While on the surface unification appears like a financial boon, it quickly becomes a bust.

With the new government accounting code, GASB 45, districts will now have to book their unfunded liability and demonstrate through savings how they intend to cover the costs. Some years ago OUHSD started a trust, which would not be included in any unification financial division, to secure financial stability. PVSD has no savings of this type in place at this time. Should unification happen, PVSD would receive an obligation of approximately $30 million dollars added to their unfunded liability of $17 million. PVSD has not addressed this $47 million liability or the other expenses listed above.

Historically, the nexus for unification was derived by the want or need of a new high school in Camarillo, not as a revenue generating mandate. Measure H (passed by OUHSD) has the funds needed for construction and OUHSD has purchased land adjacent to the new library. Although construction costs have risen there is still sufficient money for a new, technologically advanced high school of what may be a smaller proportion. Camarillo residents need to understand their option to build this new school will require a much higher level of bond debt without the amount of matching funds OUHSD is capable of receiving.

While I appreciate the service Mr. Masyr is providing to our community as a budget committee member I don't believe his opinion provided a complete accounting of the issue. He did a fair commentary on the asset side of the equation, but he totally ignored the liability side of his budget scenario. Educationally, salary increases should be a byproduct of unification, not the sole reason for an action that will have long term, potentially negative, implications to education in Camarillo.

To bait the emotionally charged issue of teachers' salary increases within a partial snapshot of a complex issue is irresponsible. All residents agree that we need to find a solution for the pay and benefit package our teachers receive. We see other elementary districts in our area with lower base revenue limits that offer better salaries. Perhaps PVSD's budget committee should consult with them for cost-saving and efficiency strategies. Unification while offering the "quickest way" to reward our teachers is not fiscally viable or sustainable for PVSD.

Alamillo was a former member of the Pleasant Valley School Board.