For Schools, It’s Not All Academic : Education: With a new year starting, improving programs and performance is one priority, but so are such things as tightening security and refurbishing facilities.

Shem Hannemann, 14, has spent his long summer days surfing Ventura’s waves. But Wednesday, the Newbury Park High School freshman will put away his board and pull out his backpack.

Beach trips and double features will be replaced by algebra equations and vocabulary quizzes.

“I’m bummed,” Shem said at freshman orientation last week. “Summer felt way short.”

This week marks the beginning of the school year for most Ventura County districts, including Simi Valley, Conejo Valley, Hueneme Elementary and Ventura. And educators throughout the county are anticipating a particularly busy year--continuing major construction projects, improving safety, raising achievement test scores and implementing new statewide reforms.

“Everything is new,” Rio Elementary Supt. Yolanda Benitez said. “It feels like we are constantly reinventing ourselves.”

Ventura County schools are due to receive an additional $46.6 million--or $347 more per student--in state funds this year. With that money, districts are planning to expand after-school programs, continue class-size reduction, home in on literacy efforts and improve school safety.

Districts will also use their share of a $6.7-billion state bond to modernize old schools and build new ones.

“It’s a very exciting time in education,” said Hueneme Elementary District Supt. Bob Fraisse. “The state is saying, ‘We want our students to do better, and we are giving schools the tools to help.’ ”

For most Ventura County districts, the top three priorities this year are making schools more secure, sprucing up buildings and implementing new programs.

The school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., served as a wake-up call to districts locally and throughout the nation. Administrators began to reevaluate safety procedures and better prepare teachers and students for a potential tragedy.

“In light of Columbine, there’s probably not a school district in the U.S. that’s not taking a real hard look at security programs and beefing them up,” said Bill Studt, superintendent of the Oxnard Union High School District.

Now, districts will have state funding to support their efforts. Gov. Gray Davis allotted $100 million in school safety funds in the budget, and educators are brainstorming how to best spend that money.

Oxnard school officials are considering installing surveillance cameras at the high schools and telephones in elementary classrooms. The Hueneme Elementary School District is embarking on a two-year study on disaster preparedness and is training teachers in crisis intervention.

In the Conejo Valley, each school will decide how best to address safety concerns, whether by buying more walkie-talkies or by sponsoring a conflict resolution program, said Richard Simpson, assistant superintendent of instructional services.

Ventura Unified plans to expand its conflict resolution programs and place police officers on middle school campuses.

“We’re really putting a high priority on violence prevention and safety,” Ventura Unified Supt. Joseph Spirito said.

Simi Valley administrators are addressing safety by enlisting more parents as campus supervisors.

“What we’ve done is to encourage all our principals to enlist the help of parents to be a visible part of campus,” said Kathryn Scroggin, assistant superintendent of educational services. “We’re really trying to draw parents into the school community from the first day.”

Also a top priority for educators is school renovation and construction. This week, Ventura Unified will open Citrus Glen Elementary School, the district’s first new campus in more than 30 years. The district is also installing new roofs and restrooms at several campuses.

The Oxnard Elementary district is planning to build three schools to house a rapidly growing population. Ramona School is expected to open in August 2000, and Juan Lagunas Soria and Thurgood Marshall schools in August 2001, said Supt. Richard Duarte.

Oxnard Union High School District has begun construction on Pacifico High School, which will open for ninth- and 10th-graders in August 2001. The new campus will have a capacity of 2,300 students, Studt said. The district also remodeled the gymnasiums at four high schools and plans to renovate the science labs and restrooms this year.

The Rio Elementary School District just started building a sixth campus, and will break ground on a new gym for the district next month.

In the Conejo Valley, several local bond-related renovation projects are underway. Last fall, voters passed an $88-million bond to give district facilities a face lift. As students return to schools there, crews will be connecting classrooms to the Internet, installing more portable classrooms and renovating parking lots.

“Virtually every school has got something going on,” said Jerry Gross, superintendent of Conejo Valley Unified.

In Simi Valley, where enrollment is growing rapidly, trustees will consider school construction after they receive a report next month outlining student population projections and facilities demands.

Sixteen portables were installed this summer to house additional students. Also, district crews installed 150 computers at Royal High School and expanded the parking lots at Royal and Santa Susana high schools.

Up-to-date school facilities can only make students feel better about learning, said Royal Principal Bob LaBelle. “If they’re happy to be here, they’ll learn,” he said. “If they feel bad, the learning stops.”

School districts are also implementing new academic programs tailored to statewide education reforms aimed at raising standards. Those reforms include a teacher review and assistance program, an effort to help poor readers, an exit exam for high school students and an initiative holding schools accountable for student performance.

This year also marks the end of social promotion. Now, students who don’t make the grade will be held back.

Incoming freshmen will be the first students to take the new exit exam, which will become a graduation requirement in 2004.

Although students won’t have a crack at the test until the middle of their sophomore year, educators are already trying to figure out how to ensure that all students succeed. Several districts will offer after-school and Saturday tutoring.

Improving teacher performance and raising Stanford 9 scores are also priorities for Ventura County educators. Teachers throughout the county are attending training seminars to sharpen their skills so they can raise student performance.

The state has also set aside additional funds to continue class-size reduction. Fillmore reduced the size of 10th-grade English classes to improve reading programs, and Hueneme instituted a 20-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio in all kindergarten classes.

“To see the kindergarten-through-grade-three kids getting individualized attention is one of the most exciting things I’ve seen in my career,” Fraisse said. “In the long term, you are going to see lots of improved performance, notable in test scores, student self-esteem and behavior.”

The Hueneme district also started a program to help kindergarten students learn English. And administrators hired retired teachers to work one on one with elementary students who need extra help.

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Opening Dates

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Starting School District Date Briggs Elementary Sept. 7 Conejo Valley Unified Sept. 1 Fillmore Unified Aug. 16 Hueneme Elementary Sept. 1 Mesa Union Elementary Aug. 23 Moorpark Unified Sept. 8 Mupu Elementary Sept. 8 Oak Park Unified Sept. 1 Ocean View Elementary Aug. 31 Ojai Unified Sept. 7 Oxnard Year- Elementary round Oxnard Union High Aug. 23 Pleasant Valley Elementary Sept. 7 Rio Elementary Sept. 7 Santa Clara Elementary Sept. 13 Santa Paula Elementary Aug. 30 Santa Paula Union High Sept. 8 Simi Valley Unified Aug. 31 Somis Union Elementary Aug. 27 Ventura Unified Sept. 7

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