2005 General Plan - City Of Ventura

C H A P T E R 8Most public schools operate at or near capacity(see Table 8-3), and continuing growth in Venturarequires the District to search for sites for newschools (see Table 8-4). Developers of newprojects are required to dedicate land or pay feesfor school purposes, and any major annexation ofland outside the city is likely to have to provide aschool site to serve new resident children. Still,the scarcity and cost of suitable sites means thatgreater thought will need to be given to sharedfacility use and other non-traditional approachesto expanding capacity.Table 8-3. Ventura Unified School DistrictEnrollmentSchools – No. Students CapacityElementary – 17 8,093 95%Middle – 4 4,304 93%High - 3 4,820 85%TOTAL17,217 92%Source: Ventura Unified School District, 2003Table 8-4. Public School DemandSchoolTypeStudents/SchoolSchoolNeedsAcresNeeded 1Elementary 600 4 40Middle1,000 1 20High2,000 1 40TOTAL 6 1001. Assumes 10 acres for elementary schools, 20 acres for middleschools, and 40 acres for high schools.Source: Ventura Unified School District, 2003distinguished transfer opportunity for theUniversity of California to certificates andassociates degrees in important fields such asmanufacturing and nursing. Students also canobtain four-year degrees in certain fields at theUCSB Ventura Center. Brooks Institute ofPhotography provides education inphotojournalism, filmmaking, and related fields,providing the city with a significant cultural asset.Residents can earn graduate degrees in law,public policy, and education at the Venturacampuses of California Lutheran University,Azusa Pacific University, the Ventura College ofLaw, and the Southern California Institute of Law.The opening of the nearby California StateUniversity Channel Islands has drawn manystudents and faculty to live in Ventura, especiallythose in creative fields.Combined, these institutions of higher learningprovide Ventura with tremendous educationalassets. Through the policies and actions in thischapter, the City is committed to nurturing theseinstitutions, creating synergy among them, andinstilling both cultural and economic opportunities.Ventura is increasingly becoming recognized as acenter for higher education. Ventura College is ahighly respected two-year school with more than12,000 students, providing everything from a2005 Ventura General Plan August 8, 20058-2