MUSD Sells Condor Drive Property to Finance Essential Capital Improvement Projects

(Moorpark, California) September 20, 2023—Moorpark Unified School District has sold the former Community High School building at 5700 Condor Drive for $6.2 million to Daniel Margolis, owner of Moorpark-based Command Performance Catering.

The Moorpark Board of Education voted 5-0 Sept. 19 to formally accept the offer. The sale includes a 120-day escrow period.  

In 2022, Moorpark Unified’s Board of Education declared the 17,000-square-foot building as "exempt surplus property" and began the legally required process for its sale.  

Following a public hearing in October 2022, MUSD sought and received a waiver from the California Board of Education to forego the formal bidding requirements for the sale of the district-owned property.

The waiver allowed MUSD to bypass the formal bidding process mandated by the state's education code for the sale of district-held property.

By doing so, the district minimized brokerage costs, resulting in savings for taxpayers, while also affording district officials the chance to consider offers from potential buyers whose business goals were in line with the district's objective of selling the building to a company that would benefit the community.

The approximately 3.1-acre property, formerly the location of Community High School, was leased for adult education training classes by the Ventura County Office of Education for nearly five years before being vacated in 2020 due to the pandemic. Previous efforts to lease the building to other public agencies did not yield significant long-term results.

MUSD will also save money on monthly costs to maintain the empty building.

The money raised will go toward capital improvement projects districtwide. 

"We are thrilled to have closed the sale on the Condor Drive property,” Superintendent Dr. Kelli Hays said. “How this sale transpired not only saved our taxpayers money but also allowed us to align our goals with a buyer who will benefit our community. The funds raised will support essential capital improvement projects, ensuring a brighter future for Moorpark Unified School District."