Lakeport Unified School Board holds special meeting with Assembly member
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Unified School District Board held a special Saturday afternoon meeting with Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry to discuss what possible help the state can offer as the district faces financial challenges and the need for more money to finish a list of bond projects.
The hour-long meeting at the district office on Howard Avenue was a brainstorming session that focused on what state funding might be available to the district.
One of the chief projects the district is seeking funding to complete is a new pool to replace the existing Westshore Pool, built in the 1970s and not up to state specifications.
At a meeting earlier this month, board members heard from community members who accused them of not putting the pool as a high enough priority on the list of projects to be funded by the 2014 Measure T, which raised $17 million. Just over $3 million is left for projects.
District officials said costs to complete projects have been far higher than anticipated due to various reasons, including the rebuilding of the North Bay after last year’s wildland fires and the difficulty in finding contractors.
After hearing from the board about the pool, Aguiar-Curry noted, “This is a common story,” adding that in Winters, where she had served as mayor, the high school had similar issues.
She told the board that the county of Lake is strapped, so it’s unlikely to offer any financial support to the district, adding that the school board needed to get the community’s support.
“The pool meant more than you thought it was going to mean, right?” she asked.
Aguiar-Curry said she can put in for a budget request for Proposition 51 funds. District officials have estimated that Lakeport Unified is eligible for about $11 million in Proposition 51 money.
Board President Dennis Darling said the district has applied for the funds already, but not for the pool; rather, it’s asking for funds to backfill what was spent on the new kitchen and learning center. Aguiar-Curry asked for filing information so she could follow up with the state on the application.
Aguiar-Curry said that, one of the most frustrating things in her job is that rural communities are left out, and often have to compete with larger communities to get any funding.
“This is not a story that I have not heard before but having this conversation helps,” she said.
The discussion also touched on the difficulties of getting materials and contractors. Superintendent April Leiferman pointed out that the recently implemented tariffs have impacted neighboring Kelseyville Unified's bond projects, prompting that district to change from steel to wood construction.
Aguiar-Curry said she’s heard complaints about bonds before, referring to schools bonds in Winters and noting that small schools get behind on building and maintenance.
She said that Gov. Jerry Brown is sympathetic and empathetic to rural communities and Lake County, which the state wants to help in light of what it’s faced over the past several years. “You guys have been beat up.”
Still, she acknowledged that the pool will be tough to address, with district board members explaining it will be part of a larger sports complex that also includes a new weight room and will support all high school athletics.
“What can we do to help you help us?” Darling asked.
Aguiar-Curry asked for the board to send her a letter signed by all of them requesting she pursue funding for a list of projects, and she’ll work on ways to bring the funds here.
At the end of the meeting – which also briefly touched on a number of other topics, including teacher hiring and retention, and Internet service – Aguiar-Curry acknowledged the tough decisions the district has to make.
The No. 1 thing, she said, is that it’s “all about our children.”
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