CAMARILLO : Board May ‘Adopt Out’ Local Schools

As a means of enlisting the help of Camarillo businesses in public education, the Pleasant Valley Elementary School District board will consider Thursday putting local schools up for adoption.

The board will decide whether to pursue a Partnerships in Education program--formerly called Adopt-a-School--that would allow individual schools to collaborate with local companies or public agencies.

Although the Oxnard Union High School District has a similar partnership program, Pleasant Valley school officials said they would model theirs after a more extensive effort in the San Diego Unified School District.

Under the program, local companies or agencies could offer scholarships to outstanding students, allow employees to take time off for tutoring, open up their businesses for class tours or do a variety of other activities with any of Pleasant Valley’s 13 schools.

“Generally, you’re looking at some of the large companies because they have the funding,” Pleasant Valley Assistant Supt. Howard Hamilton said.

For such companies, the partnership program would provide good public relations and be a benefit to employees who have children in Pleasant Valley schools.

The businesses also would help themselves by furthering the education of children who may be future employees.

But Hamilton said it will take a lot of work to set up such a partnership program. He is recommending that the board consider hiring a full-time coordinator to contact potential business partners.

“In order to do it right, you’ve got to have somebody full-time out there meeting with the public,” he said.