[This is a letter that was sent to Fillmore Middle School Families from Fillmore unified School District Superintendent Adrian E. Palazuelos, Ph.D. written August 10, 2018]

Dear Fillmore Middle School Families,
We usually think about summer as a time of relaxation, sleeping a little later and gathering our strength for the next school year. However, this summer has been very busy around our school district. Our District team has been hard at work to conduct much needed repairs and improvements on our school campuses while classes were not in session. I’d like to bring you up to date on our facilities work plan this past summer and into the fall.

First, let me thank you again for voting to pass Measure V in 2016. Voters had confidence in our district to support $35 million in bonds that will be spent to repair and upgrade older classrooms and school facilities, including leaky roofs, deteriorating plumbing, electrical, heating/air conditioning systems, upgrade electrical wiring, fire alarms/emergency communication systems. The money also will be spent to improve vocational education facilities and to acquire and construct or repair classrooms.

We committed to identifying opportunities to seek state matching funds, and in spring 2018 the California Department of Education awarded Fillmore Unified with $3 million of matching funds for the Transportation pathway of our new Career Technical Education building. Our team is hard at work preparing an application to reapply for an additional $3 million in matching funds for the Agriculture pathway. Measure V and state funds will enable Fillmore Unified to realize the dream of creating the Career Technical Education facility that our students deserve.

Our team has been focused on preparing our school sites for the start of the school year and has accomplished the following:
- Painted the exterior of San Cayetano, Mountain Vista, and Fillmore Middle Schools. There’s nothing like a fresh paint job to make a facility feel new again and motivate our students.
- The addition of outdoor lighting at Fillmore Middle School to increase safety and security on our campuses.
- Slurry sealing and striping of parking lots and appropriate hardscapes.
- A new track at Fillmore High School.

We are also conducting mold abatement in the Fillmore Middle School boy’s locker room, boy’s locker room coach’s office, and stage area of the gymnasium building. It does not appear that the spores associated with the mold pose a health hazard, but we are taking measures to repair the damage. The roof was repaired in 2013, but a recent inspection revealed that conditions existed which require us to address them immediately. Fillmore Unified hired an environmental firm located in Ventura County to test for potential health hazards. The results did not indicate an exposure risk to our students and staff; however, we believe in being proactive and dealing with the issue head-on. Their inspection revealed that many ceiling tiles are missing or damaged and mold is present in the drywall attic space over the boy’s locker room, storage room, coach’s shower/restroom and over the stage area within the gym. There will be extensive abatement, scrubbing the air with filtration systems, intensive cleaning of the walls and ceiling, and reconstruction in some of the most affected areas. As a result, the areas that are being addressed will not be accessible to students or staff until the work has been completed. School administration has identified alternate spaces for students while the work is completed.

Our school district has many exciting projects ahead, all designed to enhance the education experience of our students. We want to create opportunities for them to have the best education and greatest chance of success in their lives. Thank you for your continued support.

Respectfully,
Adrian E. Palazuelos, Ph.D., Superintendent of Fillmore Unified School District