CUSD update, Feb. 25
Editorial staff

Capo Supt. Woodrow Carter will hold a town hall meeting in Mission Viejo to discuss school finances on Wed., Feb. 27, 7 p.m., at Capo Valley High School, 26301 Via Escolar. The meeting is a forum to discuss the impact of the governor’s budget proposal.

Mission Viejo residents should expect to hear about cuts that will directly affect students, classrooms and education. Carter should mention the deep trouble CUSD was already in – years of deficit spending – before the district learned about the state’s shortfalls.

Even with the state’s impending cuts, CUSD’s irresponsible spending hasn’t stopped. At the board meeting on Feb. 11, the four old-guard trustees voted to proceed with nonessential amenities at the new high school. What better way to face a $28-million deficit than blowing $8 million on such things as a pool, stadium and concession stand?

What’s the old guard’s solution for making ends meet? Among the worst ideas are laying off 300 teachers, cutting 75 percent of bus transportation and eliminating class-size reduction in grades K-3. Does anyone remember when the old regime was trying to justify spending a fortune to build the new administration center? They claimed it would save $500,000 in rent. The yearly interest on the new building is $1 million. Astoundingly, the district is still paying rent on at least some of old facilities, and the new building is one-third empty. Selling the Taj Mahal administration center would cut costs without diminishing education.

Despite Carter’s outreach efforts with parent committees and town hall meetings, the result is too much spin and not enough straight talk. Parents are remarkably on top of district issues, and they often know the answers before asking questions – Carter should know that by now. Parents have offered better financial, management and legal advice than all of CUSD’s pricey attorneys and district officials put together.

Will Carter point the finger of blame at the state during the Feb. 27 forum at Capo High? Or will he acknowledge most of the problems were caused by CUSD, including the failure to plan for a rainy day?

On another topic, the Capistrano Dispatch released a news brief that Tony Ferruzzo, principal of the new high school in San Juan Capistrano, resigned abruptly. He was in the position at San Juan Hills High School for two years prior to the school’s opening in September 2007.

Some people immediately asked if Ferruzzo was leaving for health reasons. Considering the school is next to a methane-belching dump, it’s a reasonable question. With the school losing 20 percent of its enrollment of 640 students since September, Ferruzzo’s two and a half years was a relatively long tenure at SJHHS.