District awaits state's decision on unification
Issue could be on the ballot for November election
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

Although the California State Board of Education had not reached a decision by press time, the board is expected to back a local committee and give voters the chance to decide whether Pleasant Valley School District will unify and become a K-12 district

If the state board approves a vote on unification, the matter could appear on the ballot as soon as November. It will cost between $50,000 and $65,000.

Opponents of and supporters for a unified Camarillo school district, including Pleasant Valley School District trustees, were in Sacramento for yesterday's hearing and could not be reached by press time for comment.

The state board is likely to follow the recommendation of its advisory body- the Department of Education- which earlier this month backed a local committee's request to allow Camarillo and Somis voters the right to vote on whether the PVSD would include high school students.

Shortly after the December 2006 decision by the Ventura County Committee on School District Organization to ask the state board to decide whether the unification issue should go before voters, the Oxnard Union High School District and an adhoc group of 11 Camarillo residents filed separate appeals to the state board.

Both groups contend that removing Camarillo and Somis students- many of whom are not minorities- from the Oxnard school district would promote racial segregation.

The OUHSD further argued that unification would disrupt education and strain the finances of both districts. Oxnard also wants voters within its boundaries included in any election on unification.

In its report, however, the Department of Education said a K-12 Camarillo school district does not promote racial segregation in Oxnard or Camarillo, and it found no reason to expand the voting area to include Oxnard.

Proponents to unify Camarillo say the additional state money could boost salaries and benefits for teachers. This month, the teachers union and Pleasant Valley School District began meeting with a mediator after being at odds over pay and benefits since December. The union rejected the district's latest offer of 2 percent more for salaries and no additional money for benefits.

Opponents, on the other hand, say many of the teachers at Adolfo Camarillo and Frontier high schools won't take a pay cut and work for a Camarillo unified school district and will likely stay with Oxnard. The state pays more money to high school districts than unified school districts, and it pays the least to school districts with only elementary and middle schools.

In addition, critics say a Camarillo K-12 school district isn't prepared to inherit a multimillion dollar liability for teachers' retirement benefits.

The Pleasant Valley School District hasn't set aside any retirement money for its elementary and middle school teachers or the high school teachers it would get should the district unify.

Meanwhile, Oxnard has reserved some $30 million for healthcare benefits for current and future retirees, according to district officials.