State to reimburse local schools for wildfire losses

The California Department of Education will reimburse the Moorpark Unified School District about $4,700 to help make up for financial losses incurred during the 2003 wildfires.

"The funds only cover loss related to the nutrition program," said Hilary McLean, spokesperson for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.

The Moorpark school district didn't suffer other fiscal losses since the state waived attendance requirements for days when children couldn't attend school due to the fire, she said.

Fifty-one school districts in Southern California lost nutrition money when the out-of-control fires forced evacuations.

"I'm pleased to fulfill a financial commitment made by the state of California to school districts after devastating fires swept through these regions in

the fall of 2003," said O'Connell. "Nothing can fully compensate a community for the loss of life and homes, but we can make whole the schools that suffered financial losses as a result of those destructive fires."

Districts in San Diego, San Bernardino and Ventura counties submitted claims totaling $2,705,441 for fire-related losses.

As a result of the fires, the governor declared states of emergency in those counties, which were also declared major federal disaster areas by President Bush.

California Education Code gives school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program the opportunity to obtain reimbursement for losses suffered during a state or federally-proclaimed disaster.

Schools have fixed costs even when forced to close in the event of a disaster. Since schools are funded based on student attendance, facilities lose money when students are unable to attend.

Typically, state funds from Proposition 98 would be used for the reimbursement once all regular claims for the year had been paid. However, the appropriation for fiscal year 200304 had no remaining monies from which to reimburse the disaster claims.

The budget signed into law this year included funding appropriated from the 2005-06 budget year that was designated to pay the disaster reimbursement claims.

Local school officials were unavailable to comment for this story because the district is still on holiday break.

- - Sylvie Belmond