Beyond the Blackboard

Maddox, err, Lopez, is Back ...

As some commenters have noted, Ken Maddox is back in the public eye, sort of.

The former Capistrano Unified School District Trustee, removed from office in a 2010 recall, is posting on the Aliso Viejo Patch web site, but using the name Ken Lopez.

You might remember he added Lopez to his name while a trustee.

So far, he's blogged in support of the school's decision to allow the expansion of Oxford Prep Academy Charter School, and about adopting dogs.

Patch uses volunteer columnists. Maddox identifies himself as a "policy analyst" but does not say anything about for whom, or his past public service. The state Board of Equalization website still has his name as Ken Lopez Maddox as a senior advisor for tax and legislative policy.

I've heard he might be planning a run for Aliso Viejo City Council.

Here's his columns:

On OPA

On adopted dogs

 

Local Government Changes Tomorrow: Will It Help Schools?

February 1 marks the end of redevelopment agencies in California. That's caused a lot of hand-wringing among city officials, but schools should be the big winners.

Essentially, redevelpment agencies allowed cities to keep nearly all of the property tax  from a previously identified area. That caused some consternation in the state, Governor Jerry Brown says, because the state was still required to give schools 40 percent of the budget under Prop. 98.

That meant property tax money diverted to cities had to be made up for from other state funds.

Here's a good backgrounder from California Watch

 

 

Also on Tonight's Capistrano Unified Agenda

Capistrano Unified School District has released updated drafts of adjusted trustee area boundaries, which will be reviewed and discussed at the Board of Trustees’ meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Board Room at the CUSD Education Center, 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano.

The drafts, drawn by National Demographics Corporation, can be found at http://bit.ly/zT8p5U.

The trustee area boundary adjustment is a process that occurs once every decade after data from the U.S. Census is updated. In addition, voters approved Measure H in November 2010 that changed the method of electing members of the Board to a “by trustee area” election process. This requires Board members to live in a particular Trustee area, and be elected by voters living within that area. The election scheduled for Nov. 6, 2012, will utilize the new method of election.

The latest drafts have been drawn using criteria approved by the Board of Trustees at its Nov. 14 meeting and refined during its discussions on Dec. 12, 2011, and Jan. 9, 2012.

Members of the public who wish to provide feedback on the draft plans can attend one of the meetings, send their input to [email protected], or mail comments to the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees, 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675.

A final decision is expected to be made on Jan. 25 or Feb. 13.

Capistrano Unified to Consider Early Retirement

Staffers say the poor economic climate is forcing teachers to work longer. In 2007-08, for example, 84 teachers (certificated employees) retired, but that number dropped dramatically to 26 in 2010-11.

The staff report doesn't lay out all of the details, but says the district can offer a supplementary retirement program through Public Agency Retirement Services that would save Capistrano Unified at least $600,000 a year.

The report doesn't estimate how many teachers are elgible to retire under the plan, or what number of teachers staffers expect to take advantage of the offer.

Trustees meet January 25.

Here's the staff report: Download CUSD Early Retirement

Fireworks Monday at Capo Unified School District Meeting

A spat erupted between Capistrano Unified School District trustees on Monday, with the board majority accusing two colleagues of trying to shut down the school district.

Trustees were considering staff’s request to borrow $30 million in tax revenue anticipation notes, which have become common tools for school cash-strapped school districts. The TRANs provide money now and are repaid with the tax money provided by the state in the next fiscal year.

But Trustees Ellen Addonizio and Sue Palazzo pointed out the district already has one TRANs loan outstanding, and that this was the first time CUSD issued a TRANs that went across two fiscal years.

Addonizio wanted more of an update on the district's finances, including a special meeting, before voting on the item. Superintendent Joe Farley responded he believed district staff had well briefed trustees on the state of the district.

The trustees, reading prepared statements, also accused the other board members of getting the district into financial trouble by restoring furlough days and other cuts to teachers in 2010.

That issue has been hashed over again and again—a resident even filed an unsuccessful lawsuit to stop it—and trustees let Addonizio and Palazzo know they felt it was time to move on.

“I am offended that it is continually brought up,” Trustee Anna Bryson snapped at the pair. Ironically, Bryson was elected as an ally of the two. The other trustees also voiced their displeasure, especially when staff told the trustees refusing to act on the TRANs Monday would ultimately leave the district without cash to pay its employees and other bills.

“Why don’t you just make the motion you want—to shut down the district,” Trustee Lynne Hatton asked the pair.

Trustee Gary Pritchard added that he couldn't even wrap his head around what Addonizio and Palazzo were trying to accomplish, but labeled the effort "ludicrious."

Trustee John Alpay accused the pair of stumping for the November election, when he, Brick, Pritchard and Palazzo face re-election.

It was business czar Ron Lebs' last meeting, too. He was the one handling the issue. "You're going to miss us, aren't you," Alpay asked.

The motion to start work on the TRANs passed 4-2, with Jack Brick absent. Trustees next meet January 25.

I'll get some audio up when I can...

Lots of Blue at Capo Unified Meeting Tonight

Blue, of course, is the school color for Barcelona Hills. Parents at the Mission Viejo elementary school are here to protest a request from Oxford Prep Academy to expand. OPA, on the campus for two years, wants permission to go from a maximum of 628 students to 728 in the 2012-13 school year.
Interestingly, OPA, which has a campus in Chino, also wants to hold board meetings to alternate among all of its campuses.
The room is standing room only - just like the old days.

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