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Source: Ventura County Star, Calif.mini storageAug. 30--In a room of about 40 Somis residents, nearly all supported a new location to construct a K-8 school. There's the cost issue, for one thing.If Somis School were to relocate, it would get $4.5 million from the state. That, combined with a $9 million bond passed in November, would put the community just $1.5 million short of building its dream school.If the school were to remain at its current North Street location and be renovated, it would cost the $9 million and an additional $1 million just to bring the 90-year-old campus up to code, with no help from the state.The predicament -- to renovate or relocate -- was explained to the community Thursday night. The meeting took place in the school cafeteria, which was built in 1960 and is the newest building on campus."When you're 90 years old, things kind of get grandfathered in," said Colleen Robertson, superintendent of the Somis Union School District.Quaint and unique, the small school fits the rural community of Somis but is starting to show its age. Simple tasks such as mounting a monitor or installing Wi-Fi in a classroom can be difficult.Robertson said that when the school was built, Ford was rolling out its millionth Model T."It was a different time," Robertson said. "We live in a changing world, and schools are changing and technology is changing. What we want is a vision to build a school for the next 100 years."In the last election, the school district asked voters to back a bond measure for the first time in its history. The measure needed 55 percent approval and received 67 percent.One of the first things the district consideredself storagewas constructing a new parking lot. But then the district discovered four gas pipelines surrounding the campus, some just 30 inches beneath the playground.The discovery alarmed Robertson, who quickly called neighboring districts to see if there was an extra school for Somis students to occupy. There wasn't.At Thursday's meeting, Jeff Raines, a consultant from Terraphase Engineering, said he didn't want to scare parents but they should be "adequately concerned.""Pipelines are kind of like asteroids. They're extremely hazardous, but it's rare for an occasion like San Bruno," Raines said, referring to the pipeline explosion that rocked a San Francisco suburb in 2010. "The school is in a position that it should be closed as soon as possible, in my opinion."Juana Espinoza, who has lived in Somis for 16 years, said she was surprised to hear about the pipelines. Espinoza, whose two children attend Somis School, said she would miss the campus, but staying presents too much risk."The school has been in the community for a lot of years, but moving is better for the kids," Espinoza said. "I love this school, but that doesn't minimize the risk."The district has identified a couple of sites to build a new school, but the one most likely is a 10-acre agricultural property at the end of West Street. The current school houses 270 students, but a new one could accommodate up to 500.The school board is expected to make a decision on whether to move or remodel later this year.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.) Visit Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.) at .vcstar.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉