MOORPARK : Cost of School Air Conditioning OKd

The board of the Moorpark Unified School District has decided to spend $150,000 to put air conditioning in an older school, although the expense would increase the district’s projected deficit next year to more than $1 million.

The board voted 4 to 0 this week to approve the district’s tentative budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, but only after adding the cost for air-conditioning Flory School and $20,000 for a tutoring program.

Board member Greg Barker was absent.

The additional expenditures, totaling $170,000, drive up the projected deficit for the year from $860,302 to $1,030,302, Assistant Supt. Carmela Vignocchi said.

Next year’s deficit, however, could be covered by an estimated $2.2-million carry-over from this year.

Board member Clint Harper, who made the motion to install air conditioning at Flory School, said the expense is justified despite the current budget crunch.

“It’s a poor learning environment for the students when you have classrooms above 90 degrees during the day,” Harper said.

The $150,000 would be used to put air conditioning in the 14 classrooms at Flory School that are not already air-conditioned, Vignocchi said.

The only other Moorpark school that is not fully air-conditioned is Chaparral Middle School. Chaparral needs new electrical wiring before it can get air conditioning, which would be very expensive, Vignocchi said.

The other expense approved Tuesday is $20,000 for a tutoring program that will be jointly sponsored by the school district and the city.

The program is being spearheaded by El Concilio del Condado de Ventura, an Oxnard-based advocacy and social service agency for Latinos.