$6.2 million Nordhoff expansion approved
by Bret Bradigan

Despite being $1.2 million short because of higher-than-expected bids, the Ojai Unified School District voted unanimously Tuesday to proceed with construction of the $6.2 million Nordhoff High School expansion.
The recent passage of state Proposition 47, which puts the district in line for $14.8 million in construction bond money, was the deciding factor. "We will know the afternoon of Dec. 11 exactly when our checks will arrive," said Superintendent Van Riley. That's when the bond committee meets, and it has already voted to fund the entire list of construction projects.
"In a worst-case scenario," he said, "we won't build the science building." And most of the deficit could be made up from developer fees and existing building and grounds budget. The district already has $4.6 million in the bank from Measure S, the local school issue which district voters passed in 1997.
Representatives from the project contractor, Lundgren Management Corporation, were on hand to explain why the bids came in high. They said that the demand for school construction projects has exceeded the supply of contractors available to build them. As an example, the Nordhoff project was estimated at $150 per square foot, and they hoped to find low bids to reduce the project cost to $130 to $140 per square foot. Instead, it came in at $150 per square foot again, which is still a bargain compared to other school projects that exceeded $180 per square foot. "We're convinced you will be getting fair market value," said, Lewis Carolla, Lundgren's vice president of operations.
And while inflation has been low across the broad spectrum of the economy, it has been higher in the building trades , said project manager Dan Holmquist.
Before casting his vote, board member Bob Unruhe said, "The community wants this, they voted for it, and we have a fallback plan if necessary."
The district's assistant superintendent for instruction, Dr. Tim Baird, presented the district's plan to improve Academic Performance Index test scores, which fell in most schools across the district last year, with the notable exceptions of Mira Monte Elementary School and San Antonio Elementary School. Nordhoff scores fell 45 points, and that was the focus of the remedial effort. Some of the factors that may have led to lower scores this year, Baird said, were an increase of test takers with English as a second language and an increase of test takers in special education programs. Another important factor, he said, was that students "didn't see a meaningful impact between this test and themselves," Baird said. "Many students essentially tanked on this exam."
The API score is not the result of one test, he said, but a compilation and condensation of different test scores for different grades, including the Stanford 9 and California Achievement Tests.
Motivating students to do better is the key to future improvements, he said, and that starts with educating the teachers, as well as the students, on the importance of the test. Board Chairman Kathi Smith said "Colleges look at scores when they don't know the schools," to assess graduates for admission. And board members discussed the importance of test-taking skills for later in life.
The improvement plan included:
· Improve curriculum by designing remedial plans for low-scoring students, and improving procedures for English as second language students, such as class placement, tracking and tutoring.
· Increase motivation by informing students of the importance of the test, particularly the STAR exam, and create incentives for them to do well.
· Improve testing conditions by staff training, schoolwide focus on preparation, and review of the test-taking plan.
Baird concluded his presentation with a prediction. "I'm confident we'll be talking about something different next year."
In other business, the board received an updated bus safety plan from Eric Ordway, the district's transportation supervisor. He also discussed the percentage of students who ride buses to school, which was 45 percent last year. The ridership survey will be done next week for this year, he said. "It would be great to have more kids riding buses," he said, "especially since it's the safest transportation."
A parent representative, Carri Jacobs, from the district's calendar committee, requested more time to devise a school calendar and schedule for next year. The committee's belief is that parents need time to go through the current calendar before making any changes. They plan to poll the community in May, and again in August or September.
Muriel Lavender, a long-time previous board member, was appointed to a three-year term as the board's representative to the Classified Personnel Commission, replacing Larry Hartmann.
The district set Dec. 10 as its organizational meeting, when officers of the board will be appointed, and the newest board member, Pauline Mercado will be seated.
Tuesday marked the final board meeting, after 23 years of service, for Vince France, who took a few moments prior to the meeting to eat cake and accept either congratulations or condolences, depending on the speaker.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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