Beyond the Blackboard

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.

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Lebs Leaving Capistrano Unified School District

The changes continue ... interesting to note that Lebs is going to Fullerton, the district that also lured away former CUSD exec Sherine Smith, now enjoying serving as Superintendent at Laguna Beach.

From CUSD:

Deputy Superintendent of Business and Support Services Ronald N. Lebs has accepted a similar position in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District, Capistrano Unified School District officials announced today.

His last day will be Friday, Jan. 20.

Lebs came to the District in July 2008, overseeing a budget that has suffered nearly $80 million in reductions during his tenure. During the same time period, Lebs helped manage resources in order to expand educational opportunities to students, including extending the District’s highly regarding two-way language immersion program, the establishment of the District’s first International Baccalaureate candidate K-8 school, and a renewed emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math instruction.

“Ron has been a voice for prudence and reason in this district over the last three and a half years, and has helped this District manage its resources to best support the continued academic success of its students,” Superintendent Joe Farley said. “We will miss his expertise and experience as we prepare for the next fiscal year, but we wish him well as he faces new challenges in a new environment.”

Before arriving in CUSD, Lebs worked for the Sylvan Union School District in Modesto, where he served for nine years, first as Director of Facilities and then as Chief Business Officer.

The District will initiate a regional search for a Deputy Superintendent, Business and Support Services, and will identify an interim appointment while that process is implemented.

Capistrano Releases Potential Trustee District Maps

Many, many sentences in the reports stress these are only a starting point, but the Capistrano Unified School District has posted maps of potential new voting areas for the district's seven trustees.

The five scenarios look at trustee areas that mirror high-school attendance areas, elementary attendance areas, city boundaries and other criteria.

They also identify whether they'll create an open seat up for grabs in the next election, or pit two existing trustees against each other.

The work was required because of the 2010 Census, which shows 343,291 people in the CUSD boundaries, 17 percent Hispanic.

And remember, with the passage of Measure H, voters will only cast ballots for one trustee -- the one from their area.

The public hearings on this kick off Monday night.

Here's the maps:

Download CUSD District Maps

Here is the district news release:

Public Hearing, Board Discussion Scheduled for Monday, Dec. 12

 

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO—Capistrano Unified School District has released preliminary drafts of adjusted trustee area boundaries, which will be reviewed and discussed at the Board of Trustees’ meeting on Monday, Dec. 12.

            The five drafts, drawn by National Demographics Corporation, are considered a starting point that will stimulate discussion, ideas, and direction for the consultant to develop a final plan for approval. The maps can be found at http://bit.ly/uALe24 (pdf).

            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.

            While the drafts have been drawn using criteria approved by the Board of Trustees at its Nov. 14 meeting, the plans are not final or exclusive. Considerable revision is likely and different parts of the plans can be melded into one final proposal.

Plan A boundaries are drawn using the least amount of change and are relatively compact; Plan B relies heavily on city borders; Plan C is drawn taking into account elementary school attendance areas; Plan D is based on high school attendance area boundaries; and Plan E is drawn using city boundaries and high school attendance areas as guidelines.

The plans will be brought back to public meetings for review and discussion on Jan. 9 and Jan. 25, 2012. The final plans are scheduled to be adopted at a Board of Trustees’ meeting on either Jan. 25 or Feb. 13, 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.

Children First Sets December 1 Event

This from Capistrano Unified Children First, the group that supported three of the new Capistrano Unified trustees. The group also backed Measure H that mandates trustees get elected within in their districts, instead of at large.

The group is expected to support a candidate to run in the district (Capistrano/Ladera area) now represented by Sue Palazzo. Palazzo was elected by the Tony Beall supported board, and, along with Ellen Addonizio, still clings to that philosophy. (Addonizio, interestingly, is the only trustee who refuses to allow her photo in the Capo Unified offices.)

Jack Brick was also brought in by the Beall group, but has shifted to work with the others. He's also up for re-election in 2012. It will be interesting if he runs again to see if Children First will support him or another candidate.

Here's the Children First announcement:

Please join Capistrano Unified Children First for some pre-holiday campaign cheer on Thursday, December 1, 2011 at the fabulous, new MONTEGO* Restaurant at 27211 Ortega Highway in San Juan Capistrano from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Your $20 Donation at the door includes one drink and light refreshments.

All proceeds go to support Children First with the 2012 Capistrano Unified School District Trustee elections.

Plans are in the works and potential candidates are being considered.  We need your help more than ever to help us win next November.  

Remember, contributions of $99 or less in a calendar year are not reported by donor.  You can make a $99 contribution by December 31, 2011 and again in 2012!

Looking forward to seeing you on December 1st.  Bring a friend! 

*Pull into the shopping center with Starbucks and Tannins.  Montego is on the second story (up the stairs, above Tannins) or you can pull around the back to park.

Will Capistrano Unified's School Year Be Shorter?

A shorter school year could be one result of a worse-than-expected state budget. The non-partisan California Legislative Analyst Office released a report on November 16 that forecasted revenues will be $3.7 billion below estimates used in crafting the 2011-12 budget. But unlike previous years, the current state spending plans calls for automatic cuts in the mid-year budget if revenues did not meet assumptions.

The $3.7 billion is enough to trigger cuts to all levels of education, including $1.4 billion to K-12 schools.

But another proviso this year: State law prevents districts from laying off teachers in mid-year budget cuts. That means districts that have already weathered years of budget cuts have little left to trim, making a week-long furlough at the end of the year an attractive option. A shorter school year was one of the options allowed by the legislature, although the furloughs need teacher approval.

Capistrano Unified trustees on Monday agreed to reopen negotiations with the Capistrano Unified Education Association in light of potential mid-year budget cuts. Three of five non-student days are already counted as furlough days for Capistrano teachers.

Governor Jerry Brown's Department of Finance will issue its own forecast for the remainder of the fiscal year next month, which will determine whether the cuts are made. The fiscal year ends June 30; CUSD’s elementary school year is set to end June 21, if no changes are made.

Here's the LAO report: Download LAO 2011 Mid Year