School district puts the breaks on TOHS lacrosse bid to join CIF

The Conejo Valley Unified School District board decided not to give the go-ahead for a Thousand Oaks club lacrosse team to become CIF sanctioned just yet, but it's still possible they could be ready for a 2010 spring season.

After hours of testimony at its meeting last week, the CVUSD board eventually ended up instructing district staff to draft a policy for new teams trying for CIF status, which the Thousand Oaks High Lacrosse Booster Club is determined to comply with.

"We have kind of mixed feelings," said Frank Semenza, the team's co-director.

"We wished we would have won that night, but I think we will win in the future. They saw our passion in that room. It was kind of disappointing."

But Semenza said it could have been worse.

"Going for the policy isn't that bad of a deal," he said. "Maybe it will clear everything up so nobody has to go through this again.

"The last seven months have been really hectic. I just hope they write a fair policy that people can fulfill," Semenza said.

The CVUSD board is giving staff until August to draft the policy. Semenza said they'd need to know by Sept. 1 to prepare for the 2010 season.

Members of the lacrosse club have been adamant that the team wouldn't cost the district a penny—it would be fully funded independently.

They've also provided answers to many of the district's concerns, which have been conveyed by Jeff Davis, the district's director of secondary instruction.

Facilities overcrowding had been the biggest concern, but the independent team of more than 30 has been practicing at Peppertree Park and has already been given the okay to practice on the school field from March to May.