Of many flaws and inconsistencies presented at the Jan. 6 Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) board meeting by Jeff Baarstad regarding the financial impact of the MATES (Meadows Art and Technology Elementary School), one blatantly stands out.

Dep. Superintendent Baarstad presented as a base case for closing the two campuses a combination of savings and revenue increases totaling from $914,000 to $943,000 to the district per school. This "base case," however, completely lacked any financial accounting for the lost funds that would result by locating private schools at both campuses.

Eventually, Baarstad addressed this question and arbitrarily said the district might lose 20 students.

Based on what?

He also said that the district's "due diligence" would ensure it wouldn't be hurt financially by the lease options.

However, unless CVUSD somehow obtained a guarantee from the potential renters that they wouldn't accept enrollment under any circumstances from CVUSD students, any due diligence would be meaningless.

Both Meadows and University schools can house at least 400 students. The notion that potential private school renters at these sites wouldn't cause a significant financial loss to CVUSD is absurd.

At about $6,000 per student, a conservative loss of 40 to 50 students to private schools at these large campuses would completely erase the lease revenue the district hopes to gain. The loss would indeed likely be much greater.

Even Baarstad's extremely low estimate of 20 students lost would result in a $120,000 loss to the district and cut the estimated lease gain in half.

This whole concept of inviting K12 private schools into either the Meadows or University campuses as a solution to declining enrollment is rather like trying to put out a fire with gasoline.

Instead of providing a solution to the problem, it exacerbates it. This certainly holds true in the case of Meadows, where a lease would put a fifth K5 private school into a neighborhood now devoid of public schools closer than any public school option.

Attempting to place the MATES conversion charter anywhere else other than the Meadows campus would also be a clear violation of the law. Carlos De los Rios Thousand Oaks