As the Bridges Charter School group prepares for a public hearing to gauge public support for its proposed school tonight, those involved with Horizon Hills’ parenting program are waiting just as anxiously to see how the school’s development will affect their program.

The Conejo Valley Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously last month to place Bridges on a portion of the Horizon Hills campus if the county board approves Bridges. The Bridges board had asked to be placed at the former University Elementary School campus on Atlas Avenue, but the district has plans to open a child development center there.

Bridges Charter School, a proposed K-8 public school based on whole-child education, was developed by teachers and parents from Conejo Elementary’s Open Classroom Program. The group wasn’t satisfied with recent district efforts to increase support of the 16-year-old program.

After being denied by CVUSD, the Bridges board has taken its petition for approval to the county. The group’s public hearing is at the Ventura County Office of Education board of trustees meeting tonight at 6 p.m.

As all charter schools do, Bridges needs an authorizer—an outside body—to approve its creation. After CVUSD refused, citing deficiencies in the charter in the areas of home schooling, special education and fiscal operations, the Bridges board presented a petition to the Ventura County Board of Education for possible approval.

The county board is expected to vote to grant or deny the petition on Feb. 16.

Horizon Hills houses the district’s special education preschool and parenting programs.

Eilene Green, parenting program coordinator, said the speech and special education services will be moved to the University Elementary School campus and that the parenting program is slated to stay at Horizon Hills, but it will lose three classrooms to Bridges. So far, the district has offered one portable classroom to the parenting program.

“Things are kind of up in the air,” Green said. “With the campus split in two and losing two of our rooms—how do we make that work? It’s really going to jeopardize the way we do business and how many people we can service.”

Parent Cynthia Barkman said the news is worrisome.

“We are, of course, devastated by the prospect of losing Horizon Hills for children in the future,” Barkman said. “For the last 20 or more years the Horizon Hills program has given the community a valuable infant/toddler and preschool resource.

“Besides the money savings, the hands-on experience parents get while teaching in the classroom is irrreplaceable.”

Until Bridges is officially approved or denied by the county, multiage enrollment at Horizon Hills has been delayed.

“Whatever the outcome, we will have the lower pod (area of the campus) and playground, and we will maintain a play-based, child-friendly environment in which children will continue to thrive,” Green said. “We have every intention to accommodate every parent who wishes to attend our school.

“We’re going to be here in one form or another.