School District to Ask Water District Customers for Money

Citing budget deficits, Las Virgenes Unified School District officials are asking Las Virgenes Municipal Water District customers for money.

Under the proposed “Field of Green” initiative, Superintendent Donald Zimring would like each customer to voluntarily donate $1 to the district via their water bills to help pay school landscaping costs.

Zimring is also proposing a technology sponsorship in which the water district would spend $150,000 of its advertising budget to put LVUSD’s relayed water saving messages across nearly 8,000 computers and 12,000 student/parent contacts.

“Our schools represent a valuable asset to this community and are used not only during the school day, but virtually 24/7 by community members and youth sports,” Zimring said in the letter. “Via this simple donation campaign, our District could generate sufficient funds to keep our fields green and inviting to our students and continue to make Las Virgenes a ‘destination district’ for our new residents.”

Carolos Reyes, director of resource conservation for the water district, said at a recent school board meeting that regulatory and legal issues are being studied by staff and a more specific proposal will be put forward in the future.