CUSD Notes From Board Meetings - 1/8 and 1/9

Following are notes from a CUSD resident who attended the school board meetings this week. The notes are titled "Things for parents and taxpayers to think about in CUSD."

The first five items were discussed at the board meeting on January 8 and January 9.

The old board has approved to date $142 million to build the new high school, San Juan Hills High School. That figure includes: pool, stadium, all-weather track and field, and theatre. It does not include the cost of a covered eating area for students or classrooms to house the projected student enrollment of 2,500. (Current classrooms will house 2,100 students only.)

SJHHS (the new school) will open with only 600 students -- how will this alleviate overcrowding at the five other high schools?

The old board approved the construction of a two-story portable at Aliso Niguel High School -- a 13-year-old school (and say they will obtain state matching money) while parents of Capo Valley High School, Dana Hills High School, Newhart and every other school in the district were told their schools had to be 25 years old.

The old board approved $10.18 million new two-story portable at ANHS to add 93 parking spaces (about $100,000 per parking space).

The old board approved and spent approximately $16 million to convert Arroyo Vista to a K-8 to add approximately 300 students to the campus (the school enrollment is capped at 1,050 students and has TWO multipurpose rooms).

The new district office cost approximate $55 million (including interest) to save half a million a year in lease payments. Break even is approximately 110 years. Funding source is Mello Roos, RDA, Developer fees--all money that could have gone to our schools.

The district’s investigation confirms district personnel and money were used on a political campaign (money that could have gone to our students). Check the link below:

http://www.thecapistranodispatch.com/archives/CUSD%20Investigation.pdf

In the report (retired) Judge Waldrip writes that district officials Smollar and McGill were left alone with the recall petitions for more than two hours while compiling a list of petition gatherers. The names were transferred to a spreadsheet, and a district database was used to complete a spreadsheet with student information including names. To use student records for purposes other than educational is a violation of Ed Code.

The district can open buildings without fire alarms by following a policy written by CUSD called "Fire Watch," which means someone at the school is responsible to "watch for fire" -- we each have to have smoke alarms in every room of our homes but an entire building can be opened without functioning fire alarms in CUSD.