April 22, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL SCENE

Editor’s Note: The Evergreen Times has renamed the East Side Union High School District News Briefs to HighSchoolScene. This broadens the scope of the column to include students living in Evergreen that may attend high schools outside the district.

It also provides a platform for interesting features on high school age students outside of the classroom and school-related sports. Got a unique story idea to pitch? E-mail Bea Baechle at bea@timesmediainc.com.

Tuesday, April 26

Silver Creek’s PTSA holds special meeting

On Tuesday evening, April 26, the Silver Creek High School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) will hold a special monthly meeting in the Principal’s Conference Room from 6:30 to 8 p.m. That room is located in the administration building by the flagpole, 3434 Silver Creek Road.

At Silver Creek’s PTSA board meeting held earlier this month, many new ideas surfaced regarding how PTSA could be used to help the teachers and students at Silver Creek, such as taking advantage of PTSA non-profit status. 

Some other ideas included projects to beautify the campus; to repair and improve the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning system in the main gym; to bring back a full music program and many others. The school’s leadership students are preparing a list of possible projects they see as needs for their campus. 

The students’ list of “wants and needs” will be merged with the school administration’s list. The Tuesday, April 26 meeting will offer an opportunity to go over these new ideas and get involved in helping the teachers and students at SCHS.

Silver Creek High is one of the few high schools in the East Side Union High School District that still has a Parent Teacher Student Association, yet participation of stakeholders is sparse.

“One of the Silver Creek Valley Community Organization’s goals is to create and maintain a positive, community connection with local schools,” said SCVCO officer Ed Wong.  “Just as we do now with the PTA and the educational foundations at our elementary schools, the PTSA at Silver Creek can be an excellent avenue that we get involved in today to help Silver Creek raise much needed “extra” dollars to enhance the education of our children.”

Wong added, “Silver Creek needs the expertise of the area’s talented people to help now at the high school level.  Please take that first step and consider helping out at Silver Creek’s PTSA.”

With the official announcement made this month that veteran administrator Art Darin will permanently take the helm at Silver Creek, local residents are optimistic about the opportunities opening up at this Evergreen-based high school.
Contact Darin at (408) 347-5610 for details.

First Semester
Congratulations to Silver Creek’s 4.0 GPA students

Freshmen
Melissa Beckwell, Jennifer Duong, Monica Erezo, Neelam
Grewal, Loc Ha, Diep Ho, Phuong Huynh, Elijah Jennett, Billy Kwong, Leslie Lam, Tam Lam, Amanda Lien, Tino Linhsamout, Nguyet Luong, Tri Timothy Luu, Hao Ly, Judy Mol, Boi Nguyen, Duc Nguyen, Dung Nguyen, Hung Nguyen, Joann Nguyen, Lannie-Linh Nguyen, Shirley Nguyen, Lilian Pham, Alexis Ruiz, Marlena Saephan, Jane Shim, Elizabeth Solorio, Tony Teoh, Dora Tien, Harold Tran, Michelle Tran, Nhu Tran, Rebecca Truong and Daniele Vunog.

Sophomores
Yefri Banegas, Laureen Cruz, Brian Hong, Ranjeet Jador, Sara Jaka, Hoanganh Lam, Cliford Macaraeg, Cindy Nguyen, Dung Nguyen, Ngoc Nguyen, Quang Nguyen, Thuong, Nguyen, Mar Joseph Odias, Samantha Tavares, Quan Tiet and Elaine Trinh.

Juniors
Miranda Chan, Ngocchau Ho, Sharanjeet Kaur, Natalie Lumauig, Nhan Ly, Vy Mai, Jose Munoz, Ngoc Ngo, Guriqbal Singh, Morris Thai, Tam Tran and Nghia Trinh.

Seniors
Courtney Booth, Nga Chung, Navpaul Dhillon, Jason Eng, Eliza Finley, Kirandeep Gill, Maylene Hang, Steven Hao, Anna Hwang, Brian Nguyen, Perla Preciado, Paulina Solorio, Thanh Tran, Vivian Trang, Khang Vuong and Jessica Windham.

ESUHSD’s CFO resigns, interim appointed

The East Side Union High School board of trustees recently accepted the resignation of its Chief Financial Officer, Jack Mahrt, effective April 30. The board appointed Jerry J. Kurr, who is widely respected throughout California, to replace Mahrt. Kurr began consulting with ESUHSD on April 11.

Mahrt, who is leaving in the middle of a two-year contract, has accepted a similar position with the West Valley Mission Community College system. 

His resignation came in the shadow of past blunders such as a misplaced decimal point significantly underestimating deficit numbers and a financial plan to use Certificates of Participation to bail the district out of its financial woes.

Although the CoP idea would have infused $9.5 million in cash to the district, county officials warned that it might have been illegal and the board of trustees returned to the drawing board.

Kurr is a retired chief financial officer of Fontana Unified School District and of Berkeley Unified School District who led both districts out of financial turmoil. He will assume the ESUHSD position on an interim basis while the district begins the search process.

“ESUHSD is a great district with a great superintendent and great people. I wish them the best of luck,” said Mahrt at the last Budget Task Force meeting that he would attend representing the district.

“Life goes on and we wish you well,” said Herrera to Mahrt at the April 19 meeting. Herrera described Kurr as “a great representative who has worked on projects like this since he retired. We are lucky he was available to do this for us.”
Kurr is glad to be serving the district and feels he has much to contribute.

“This is the fourth district I’ve been in on an interim basis, even though the causes and effects were different,” Kurr said. “I think I can help. There are certain ways to account for things. I know where the problem with the district is. It’s with their restricted general fund dollars, and there are certain things you can do besides cutting to move costs to other areas of the budget.”

ESUHSD board approves resolution to borrow money from Quimby land sale

While the ESUHSD’s community-based Budget Task Force has been methodically reviewing options to alleviate the projected deficit for the 2005-06 school year, the board of trustees on April 14 approved a resolution to borrow $6.1 million from the Quimby land sale adjacent to Evergreen Valley High School to jump the deficit hurdle plaguing the 2004-05 budget.

“This money will support our current deficit for this year, and we believe the legislation sponsored by former superintendent and current Assemblyman Joe Coto will hopefully help us. We are doing this to support the district, and hopefully we will not have to pay it back pending this special legislation,” said ESUHSD Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas.

The money, which would have to be paid back by June 30, 2006 if the special legislation does not pass, would help cover encroachments to the General Fund, such as special education and other programs that are over budgeted for the current year.

“We’ve got to tell the county how we’re going to pay for the 2004-05 deficit on the books,” said ESUHSD Board President Manuel Herrera. “Borrowing from this fund is legally allowed and buys us a year of time, and hopefully with the legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Joe Coto, would give us the one-time revenue to resolve that part of the deficit.”

ESUHSD Board Trustee Craig Mann warned that the legislation as it currently stands includes “a significant poison pill that needs to be addressed and needs to be cleaned up.”

He explained that the legislation as currently written has a significant consequence to the district as far as access to deferred maintenance funds. “Even if it was adopted in the next month, or two or three, it will not be effective until early 2006,” said Mann, limiting access to other state funds unless the language can be corrected before any final legislation is adopted.

“If legislation passes in its current form, we get to use the $12 million [from the Quimby land sale], but guess what, we lose $30 million in deferred maintenance, so why would we want to use $12 million to lose $30 million?” asked Mann.

Mike Potter, director of the 23rd District Assembly office, responded in a phone interview that “Assemblymember Joe Coto is working with the East Side Union High School District’s legal counsel, superintendent and staff to craft language that does not adversely affect the district’s ability to access other sources of state funding. We’re just trying to help—we’re not trying to step on any toes.”

The final hearing on using the Quimby land sale proceeds to erase this year’s debt instead of reserving it for future capital building projects is set for May 4 at 9 a.m. in Superior Court in San Jose.

Save the date: June 13

Overfelt High School’s 16th Carl Monroe Memorial Golf Tournament

The Overfelt High School Athletic Department is hosting its major fundraisers of the year, the 16th Carl Monroe Memorial Golf Tournament, on Monday, June 13. It will be held at Summit Pointe Golf Course, 1500 Country Club Dr. in Milpitas.

Foursomes and individual players are welcome, at $160 per player.The fee includes green fees, tee prizes, shared cart, lunch, dinner - barbecue steak and chicken with salad, rolls, and chili beans, silent auction and super raffle—NFL, MLB and NHL autographed items and more.

The Athletic Department is also seeking sponsors of $100 and/or $200. All proceeds go sponsor scholarships and equipment for deserving Overfelt student athletes

Entry forms will soon be available via the Web site: http://www.overfeltathletics.com, From the links page, print out the entry form, fill it out and mail it in with your entry fee to Overfelt High School, Attn: Mark Delgado, Golf Tournament Chair, 1835 Cunningham Ave., San Jose, CA 95122. This tournament fills quickly.

For more information, contact Mark Delgado at (408) 347-6052, delgadom@esuhsd.org or contact Principal Dino Certa at (408) 347-5900.