Conejo Unified Officials Change Mind on [BRIDGES] School Site
Printer-friendly version
Send to friend
PDF version13 March 2010 Marjorie Hernandez - Ventura County STAR
Conejo Valley Unified School District officials said they are rescinding their initial recommendation to allow the Bridges Charter School to open at the Horizon Hill campus in Thousand Oaks and will recommend three other options when the Conejo board meets Tuesday night.
The board voted unanimously in January to offer Bridges Charter the Horizon Hills campus on Greta Street, which also houses the district’s adult education, preschool and parenting programs. Bridges supporters, however, are insisting on the former University School campus, which they said has plenty of available room.
In an 11-page letter, the charter board’s attorney, Sarah J. Kollman, outlined various claims as to why Horizon Hills would not provide “reasonably equivalent contiguous school facilities” as required under state law. Under Proposition 39, a school district is required to provide facilities for a charter school if a certain number of district students plan to attend it.
Conejo Deputy Superintendent Jeff Baarstad said Friday the district’s lawyers reviewed the charter’s concerns and carefully weighed the factors of placing it at Horizon Hills, one of the older sites in the district.