Parents Advocate League Update
by Julie Collier

Dear PALs,

Mon., July 13, was another general board meeting at CUSD. Items 1, 3-18 and 20-21 were approved with a 7-0 vote.

Item 19: Additional Salary for Deputy Supt. Naomi Suenaka
Ms. Suenaka was hired for part-time work. Dr. Mahler explained that this was not a salary raise, but an increase in work hours. She explained that the district is at a minimal staffing level.

Trustee Brick was adamant that the district not pay more money for this item. He was not in support of spending more money and stated the district needs to deal with what it has. His statement empowered Trustees Bryson, Lopez-Maddox, and Winsten to vote no for this item. It was a 4-3 vote.

Special thanks to Trustee Brick for taking a stand against the spending habits of the past. Many employees and teachers can sympathize with working above and beyond our specified/contracted work hours without additional funding compensation.

You can read more in the following OC Register article, including the salary contract: Capistrano trustees: No added hours for administrator

Item 22: Board Bylaw: Changing Board Meetings from Monday to Tuesday
It was explained that a change from Monday night to Tuesday night board meetings is due to a district colleague who will be attending doctorate classes on Monday night. It was further explained that some communities in CUSD hold their city council meetings on Mondays. It would also be helpful to have an extra day to work on the agenda.

Trustee Lopez-Maddox stated Tuesday night board meetings are hard for him to attend due to work obligations. He stated that he is trying to set his work schedule so he can attend Tuesday night board meetings.

This item was tabled until Trustee Lopez-Maddox can settle his work obligations.

Item 24: Reinstatement of Personnel:
This item was approved 7-0. It reinstated 18 Block Music teachers at a cost of $1M. Also included for reinstatement are two G.A.T.E. Teachers on Special Assignment at the cost of $90,000.

Item 25: Classified Layoffs
Two Classified workers were reinstated with a 7-0 vote.

Item 26: Update on progress of DSA

Item 27A: New Board Policy: Voting for Trustee by Area
Currently, voters in the CUSD communities are allowed to vote for all Trustees (“at large”). The board and some community members want to change to voting by the area in which you live. Community members want to have a special election for this on the June 2010 ballot that could cost the district $500,000 - $800,000. This item was tabled until there could be further research/information on the pros, cons and costs involved. Stay tuned for more information on this topic.

Item 28: Citizen Request
The community of Pacifica San Juan was set to have 400 homes. Currently, it has 61 homes with only 54 being occupied and 10 students who attend CUSD. The developer is now bankrupt and has left the community with unfinished sidewalks and dirt lots. This community was supposed to have a $45M bond to support CUSD. However, a bond cannot be sold until more than 90 percent of the community is sold. The residents are paying a special assessment tax and Mello-Roos. The residents are asking the board to reduce the rate they have to pay. They have hired an attorney to help them. Trustee Christensen wants this to be an action item on a future agenda. Trustee Winsten suggested ways they can research and find more answers to help their cause. A resident stated he was told by the district that the money is being used to improve La Pata Street. At the meeting, a district official stated that was untrue and that the money is currently being saved for future improvements to San Juan Hills High. (Isn’t that what the Deferred Maintenance categorical funding is for?)

The next board meeting is a special board meeting on July 28 at 7:00 p.m.

All the best,
Julie Collier
Parents Advocate League

If you would like to be included in future PALs emails, please contact julie@parentsadvocateleague.org

You can read more in the following:

Beyond the Blackboard 
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