Declining home values no help to enrollment woes

I was disappointed by the view put forward by Jeff Baarstad, deputy superintendent of Conejo Valley Unified School District, in the March 6 Thousand Oaks Acorn. He's quoted, "We are hopeful that the housing prices may go down and enrollment numbers will go up . . ."

Jeff's logic is flawed. Lower house prices imply lower property tax revenue. The school district would still lack funds for these schools.

Even if incomes rose or interest rates lowered, the neighborhoods have the same problem of not attracting young families.

Closing these schools exacerbates the problem of not attracting families.

Affordability is an issue, however. When families investigate where to live, the quality of schools and quality of the homes are among the top issues in finding a location to live. Unfortunately, these neighborhoods have older homes with substandard features.

One thing missed is the condition of nearby schools. Many of the schools in the review process are neglected. I don't know the quality of the academic instruction. However, the schools definitely need updating.

It's wishful thinking that lower home prices would attract more young families to these neighborhoods. If the school district wants to improve enrollment to keep the schools open, they need to modernize these schools.

Money is needed to achieve this. However, raising taxes is a third-rail topic in modern politics. This leaves the school district with few choices to find money to update these schools. Some choices include lowering salaries and benefits for district employees, fewer administrators and fewer supplies.

It's one or the other: either forget the over-used mantra of "no new taxes" or cut benefits, salaries or employees. Robert Hull Newbury Park