Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Neighbors and advocates press Ventura Unified to choose between trade school, housing or a park for surplus sites
Summary
Dozens of public commenters urged divergent outcomes for three surplus Ventura Unified sites: trade/vocational training for neurodivergent adults at Avenue, affordable/workforce housing for teachers and families, and preservation of Washington School land as park or community center; speakers emphasized historic preservation, traffic and community needs. The board took no action.
More than 40 speakers used the Ventura Unified town hall to press competing visions for the district’s three surplus properties, with repeated themes that split the neighborhood and stakeholder groups.
Trade-school advocates, including parents and adult-autism service providers, urged the board to favor a vocational training campus at the former Avenue Elementary School. "We are here to talk about creating a trade school for a neurodiverse community," said Jenna, a local parent. Eighth-grader Gavin White described wanting "more options and opportunities" after high school and urged the district to allow Avenue to become a trade school where neurodivergent learners could train for work.
Several speakers described proposals led by local advocates and…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
