School board postpones Internet improvement system
By Joann Groff  joann@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers DUNN PROTESTS--Conejo Valley Unified School District board member Michael Dunn states his opposition to the high cost of installing a new Internet network system when the board is slashing the budget and considering two schools for closure. The decision has been delayed until Mon., Feb. 4.

With the names of the two schools to be closed just weeks away from being announced, parents made it clear at a special meeting Monday that it's not an appropriate time to improve Conejo Valley Unified School District's Internet network.

A few residents used the meeting as an opportunity to protest on the side of Janss Road near the entrance to the district office, holding signs reading "Keep Our Schools Open" and "CVUSD Unfair to Parents."

Jeff Baarstad, deputy superintendent of business services, was armed with a recommendation for the board of education to approve a $1.6-million bid from Sunesys to install a high-speed, fiber-optic network.

The standing-room-only meeting had parents up in arms about the possibility of spending a proposed $300,000 a year over the next few years when two schools are being closed to save about $650,000 per school.

"I am here to ask you to slow down," said parent Beth O'Shea. "This wasn't on any agenda. It has been on the website for a couple days. And the meeting is being held at 3 p.m. on a school day. What is the rush?"

Cathy Carlson agreed.

"It's nice to have lots of jewelry in the jewelry box, but do you really need it?" said Carlson, agreeing that high-speed Internet would be nice, but saying that it's not the right time to upgrade.

Two Verizon representatives also showed up to the meeting demanding to know why they weren't awarded the job despite being the lowest bidder. Verizon's gross cost over five years was quoted at around $734,000, less than half of the Sunesys bid.

"We reached out to corporate to get the lowest possible pricing and we did," said Jeff Crisp of Verizon. "We are wondering why we aren't the ones who got it. Our headquarters is in Thousand Oaks. I have kids in this district."

According to Baarstad, there was a connection-cost component missing in the Verizon bid, so it was thrown out. Crisp insisted that the request for a bid didn't include that component. Either way, Crisp said he could have an updated bid in a couple of days, and he promised that Verizon would still be the lowest bidder.

The packed meeting room erupted in applause at the possibility of saving money, although many said they'd still rather see the idea abandoned completely.

When parent Suzanne Duckett began to speak on the subject of school closures, she was immediately shut down by board president Dorothy Beaubien, who reminded her that the special meeting was a time to address only the Internet proposal.

This instigated a screaming match, with many of the audience yelling at Beaubien that the two issues were related. They said spending more money during school closures was an outrage, and about two minutes of outbursts ensued.

Another rowdy response came after Peter Sari, parent of four, defended the idea of putting the upgrade on hold.

"I have an old electric stove at home, but it still boils my tea," he said. "I'd love to go out and buy a Viking (stove), but I don't need it. We have speed bumps all around our schools. Now we need to take a speed bump and slow down."

He went on to quote his child's principal, Sheila Carlson of Aspen Elementary.

"Like she always says, 'It's not Internet, Internet, Internet. It's read, read and read some more!'"

Many Aspen parents, who showed up in droves after their school was chosen as a good candidate for closure, joined in to chant the mantra and applaud.

Baarstad emphasized that CVUSD was the last district in Ventura County to make the high-speed move. But he did decide to give Verizon a couple of days to complete its bid, albeit begrudgingly.

"I'm irritated that this dialogue (between the district and Verizon) didn't occur before now," Baarstad said. "Instead you show up at a public meeting."

And the rush, Baarstad explained, was due to a Feb. 7 deadline for a grant.

The board voted to table the topic a week to allow Verizon to submit its bid and for any additional options to be researched.

The next meeting on the issue is at 6 p.m. Mon., Feb. 4.