February 11, 2005

ESUHSD NEWS BRIEFS

Key resolutions passed at ESUHSD Feb. 8 board meeting

The East Side Union High School District board of trustees passed several critical resolutions at their monthly board meeting on Feb. 8.

Certificates of Participation
The first resolution, prepared by ESUHSD’s Chief Financial Officer Jack Mahrt, requests reimbursement from the Certificate of Participation proceeds for projects previously completed or in progress. All projects previously paid for from Measure G qualify for this reimbursement program.

By passing this resolution, ESUHSD is not committed to going forward with the Certificate of Participation financial proposal. This resolution just allows district staff to research whether this type of financial proposal is cost effective.

“The board authorized a first step to look at creating this financial mechanism to generate a one-time infusion of cash of up to $9.5 million,” said ESUHSD Board President J. Manuel Herrera.

The money would be used “to balance this year’s 2004-05 budget and rescind the actions taken at previous board meetings,” he added, referring to the authorized reductions of district positions such as librarians and counselors.

“If this strategy is fully executed,” he continued, “it will not relieve us of the challenge we face balancing next year’s budget for 2005-06 —it will only delay the moment of reckoning, as the board seeks every legitimate avenue to maintain quality of services while all other strategies are considered to resolve the ultimate challenge of resolving the structural deficit in our budget.”

Herrera noted the next step for the proposed certificates of participation is further research, analysis and a required consultation with and approval by the Santa Clara County Office of Education.

Mahrt further explained that if district staff finds that the Certificate of Participation financial proposal is cost effective and beneficial for the district, a proposal to enter into a Certificate of Participation program will be brought back to the board for further review and discussion.

Authorizing lack-of-work notifications
The board adopted four resolutions that would enable the district to provide adequate notice of potential reductions in the classified workforce to balance next year’s 2005-06 budget, including certificated administrative staff, all adult aides and those performing particular kinds of services.

This means that more than 150 certificated employees in the district may receive a pink slip in March, but that doesn’t mean they will definitely be laid off. For example, if those holding an affected position are credentialed teachers, they may bump teachers who are not. The list of positions affected includes athletic directors, coordinators, counselors, head counselors, librarians, literacy coaches, program specialists, student activity directors, student advisors, resource teachers and teachers on special assignment.

“The board acted of necessity to preserve all of its options,” explained Herrera. “By law we are forced to give notices by March 15, even though no district in the state is capable of knowing its true financial picture for the upcoming year until the summer and the fall.

“We do not anticipate that the full scope of notices given would need to be executed, but we simply don’t know in February, and the Board must preserve every option,” said Herrera.

Feb. 28 & March 2
ESUHSD Budget Task Force meetings rescheduled

The East Side Union High School District’s Budget Task Force meetings have been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 28 and Wednesday, March 2, both at 6 p.m. They will be held in Cougar Hall at Evergreen Valley High School, 3300 Quimby Road.

The ESUHSD Budget Task Force has completed the first of four steps, “Vetting The Budget” (verifying the budget figures/budget crisis).  The Task Force has now proceeded to step two, “Presentations By Stakeholders.” 

These meetings provide an opportunity for Budget Task Force participants to gain a greater understanding of specific program areas of the budget that impact the educational community. Presentations can last up to 20 minutes, followed by a 5 – 10 minute question/answer period.

The Budget Task Force process will end with a report to the board of trustees in mid-to-late May, prior to the June 2005 budget hearings and the adoption of the 2005-2006 budget. Check the ESUHSD Web site (www.esuhsd.org) if you have further questions or would like to see past reports.

Evergreen resident earns commendation

Long-time Evergreen resident and ESUHSD teacher Steve Barry recently received a commendation from Councilmember Dave Cortese and the entire city council for generously supporting the Vietnamese Students Association of Independence High School for the last 15 years through financial support, personal time and practical advice.

Barry, who just published a book about these experiences, has provided healthy, safe and enjoyable alternatives for Vietnamese students to exchange and share their experiences among one another. For more information about Barry and his book “The Dancing Lion” go to www.evergreentimes.com.

—Photo by Janelle Barry