March 8, 2006 - Top Stories
Declining enrollment coupled with a continuing budget crisis in Sacramento and a surprise cut in federal impact aid means that VC schools must cut $500,000 from this budget and the next.
This is bad news for individual school sites, who are being asked to return half of their unspent site budgets to the general fund. Also affected are teachers seeking higher cost of living increases in their stalled contract negotiations.
For four years declining enrollment has eaten into the district’s reserves. They were also lowered by having to pay for part of the cost of building Lilac Elementary School.
The building of the Maxine Theater did not lower reserves. It was paid for out of state matching funds, local donations and developers’ fees, which can only be used for capital improvements.
Each school district is given a fixed amount of money by the state for each student attending school. This is called Average Daily Attendance or ADA.
In 2002-2003 the district lost 41 students. The following year it had 107 fewer students. In 2004-2005 it added 71 students, but this year lost 54. That’s a net loss in the last four years of 131.
Fewer Indian Students
Federal Impact Aid goes to schools who have children of military parents and Indian children attending. The VC-Pauma District has both, although its main source of aid is its Indian population.
The district has lost about 60 Indian students. “We think we lost a lot of students on the reservations because of the fires of 2003,” school Supt. Lou Obermeyer told The Roadrunner this week.
Many families that lived on Rincon and San Pasqual but were not reservation members and who were displaced when their homes burned, have not returned.
At the same time the federal government has cut impact aid. So the total in federal impact aid lost is $800,000.
The district didn’t find out this figure until about two weeks ago.
It has joined with many other districts nationwide that are affected by the change in the rules and attempting to lobby Congress to restore the old rules.
Many other districts in San Diego County are hit by this cut. Most notably Fallbrook and Oceanside, which have large populations of students from military families.
Valley Center has five Indian reservations, more than any other district in the County.
The district had $267,000 unspent money left in its self-insurance policy fund. That will be moved to the general fund.
After that is factored in with the loss from the federal government the total loss for this year is about $500,000.
That is about 2% of the district’s $36 million budget. Although individual sites are being asked to return half of their unspent budgets, they would have already have spent that budget anyway by April.
No programs are being cut this year.
Declining Enrollment
For the last four years the district has been in “declining enrollment,” i.e. fewer children attend than in previous years.
At the same time the district has still failed to reach a salary agreement with the teachers’ union, which has declared an “impasse” in salary talks.
The teachers are requesting that a mediator, appointed by the Public Employees Resolution Board, come in and try to sort out the issues between the union and the school board.
This would involve a neutral party looking at the district’s budget.
Supt. Lou Obermeyer told The Roadrunner this week, “We will work with them in that process. We want to make sure their questions are answered.”
She is making presentations this week to the staffs of the various schools and to representatives of the classified employees.
She has appointed a budget advisory committee made up of school administrators, teachers, representatives from migrant education, special education, transportation, classified employees, parents and community members to find ways to save money next year.
“Their recommendation will go to the board in May,” said Dr. Obermeyer.
Teachers’ Position
Kathy Frinchaboy, negotiator for the Valley Center-Pauma Teachers Assn., told The Roadrunner that the teachers look forward to seeing the recommendations that the advisory committee makes.
“We hope to have the budget advisory committee comes up wtih some ideas,” said Mrs. Frinchaboy.
“We’re in this with the district. We are sorry it came to this, but we very much want to find a resolution. Not just this year but to put us back on a strong financial track for years to come. We love our district,” she said.
The teachers and district are gridlocked over the amount of the cost of living raise and whether it should be retroactive.
According to Mrs. Frinchaboy, “The school district had offered us a three percent raise, with no retroactivity from February of 2006. We signed a tentative agreement with them in December to take that back to our teachers.”
The original offer when they started meeting in September was 1.45% retroactive from July 1. In December the offer went up to 1.5% with retroactivity, and then in same meeting was restructured to be 3% with no retroactivity.
“The COLA (cost of living adjustment) for this year was 4.95% from the governor’s budget. The teachers rejected the three percent with no retroactivity based on it not reflecting the true COLA and the fact that it was not retroactive to July 1,” she said.
She wouldn’t say where the teachers would have the district cut the budget to free up more money for salaries.
“We have several questions at this time,” she said. “We have suggestions but they are suggestions the district itself brought up. Many deal with choices made in the last four to five years to put it in such a situation as the deficit.
“We have no desire to make this an acrimonious issue and we’ve all had a very special relationship and we still feel that is possible,” she said.
It is time to find your green T-shirt and hat and make plans to bring your family and friends to the Irish Stew Cookoff Thursday, March 16 from 5-7 p.m. at the community hall.
Walking into the community hall for the Irish Stew Cookoff is like taking a trip to the Emerald Isle, complete with leprechauns, music and more people than you can imagine wearing 40 shades of green.
Each year contestants cook two pots of stew, call it Irish and compete in one of three categories: business, service club or as an individual entry to try to win first place for their stew.
Cooks decorate their table, make some fun bribes for the judges and after the judging of the stews proudly serve samples to the visitors who come to join the festivities.
So, what is in an Irish stew? One never quite knows.
“Sadly, original Irish stew contained lamb and a carrot or two,” says VC Mayor Brenda O’ Kline.
“However, no one would come and taste the stews if that was all there was to them. Participants are encouraged to make two tasty pots of stew, call it Irish and bring it to be judged and shared,” says Her Honor.
“In the past competitions we have had all nationalities represented including: Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Polish, Scottish and some that were very hard to determine. But all claimed to be Irish for the day.”
The judges, who are last year’s winners, select stews based on appearance, smell and taste.
By the way, it is not too late to enter a stew. Cost of entry is $5. Obtain applications by calling the Chamber of Commerce at 749-8472, Kathleen at 497-7007 or Brenda at 207-5624.
Cooks can also win by providing the best table decorations or giving judges the best bribe.
What types of bribes are offered? That is where the fun kicks in. The stew cooks can get very creative. One year the Sheriff’s Dept. gave “Get Out of Jail Cards.” California Bank & Trust gave out bundles of $100 bills and no interest, payment or pay back home loans. (Nicky Lovejoy, the current bank manager replaced the fired manager who gave the bribes.) Cooks have made up Irish treats, baskets of goodies and offered some very unusual bribes.
Judging starts promptly at 5 p.m. The community is invited to taste the stews and join the fun.
After the stews are judged and introductions made then the public can sample all of the stews for $5 for adults, $3 for children. Included are refreshments and local entertainment.
Obtain entry forms at the Valley Roadrunner, Chamber of Commerce, California Bank & Trust, Community Pharmacy or call event coordinators, Kathleen Patton at 497-7007 or Brenda Kline at 207-5624.
The rules are pretty simple. 1. You must bring 1 large crockpot of prepared Irish Stew ready for judging at 5 p.m. 2. Decorate your table in an Irish theme. 3. Know that the judges are prone to accepting bribes (actually they expect them!). 4. Submit an entry fee of $5 with your application.
Former Assemblyman Bruce Thompson, who would like to win Bill Horn’s job as Fifth District Supervisor in June, claims that TIF fees in the rest of the county are lower than they are in North County.
TIFs (Traffic Impact Fees) were adopted last year by the Board of Supervisors. It is well known that they hit commercial properties about ten times as much per square foot as they do residential properties. However, Thompson is claiming that they hit areas like Fallbrook and Valley Center harder than areas of the County such as Chula Vista or Otay Mesa.
It’s very hard to figure out how TIFs are arrived at, says Thompson.
“The guy who came up with the formula is retired and no one else knows how they came up with it,” he told The Roadrunner this week.
Thompson also says that he has spoken to people who have had the fees waived. “That’s very unfair if some people can get the fees waived while the properties right next to them have to pay it.”
He added, “It’s kind of like a Chicago politics thing.”
The other problem, says the candidate, “is that we don’t know where the TIF money is going. We think it’s going into the general fund, which means that local communities may not be getting the money back that they contribute.
Finally, says Thompson, the TIF fees have choked off any commercial development in North County’s unincorporated areas.
“It’s not just affecting Valley Center’s shopping center,” said Thompson. “It’s affecting all commercial properties in the unincorporated areas.”
He’s referring to the Weston property, which appears to be in limbo because of TIF fees that threaten to add several million dollars to the building of the project.
Thompson said he was planning to file for the election on Wednesday of this week.
The All Tribes American Indian Charter School (ATAICS) faces losing its charter if it doesn’t take very drastic actions, including removing the people responsible for starting it in the first place.
Its charter was granted by the Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District, which now threatens to revoke that charter.
The school, which serves tribal children in grades K-12, was started five years ago. It operates on the Rincon Reservation, near the corner of Hwy 76 & Valley Center Road.
Its principal is Mary Anne Donahue, whose removal is one of several conditions for renewing the charter.
In its Findings & Recommendations to the school board, the school administration states, “It is evident by the condition of both the business and educational divisions of ATAICS, that after almost five full years of operation, the current leadership is not competent to manage the organization.”
Most concerns relate to the financial operation, financial status, and the processes, procedures and internal control methods used by the tribal school.
The district in its “Findings and Recommendations,” notes that some improvements have occurred since ATAICS was issued a Notice of Opportunity to Cure & Correct. But it cautions, “there are still too many issues outstanding to call this a successful or adequate response by ATAICS. The majority of these issues have been addressed because of continuing pressure from the district.”
Criticisms include:
• Not all teachers meet credentialing requirements. One teacher doesn’t have a teaching credential.
• The school is not keeping accurate records of ADA (average daily attendance), and in some cases it inflated those figures.
• The school is not keeping accurate payroll and withholding records.
• No audit has been conducted for fiscal year 2004-2005, although the school was given an extension to do so.
• The school has not yet been credentialed by Western Assn. of Schools and Colleges. There are 12 seniors attending ATAICS. Without WASC credentialing, their diplomas will be worthless.
According to one of the consultants hired to write the WASC accreditation application, the application contains “a lot of puffy smoke.”
Last August an audit of the curriculum of the school by VC-Pauma Unified School District’s Director of Curriculum Ken Clark singled out Donahue for a number of criticisms.
“The Director, [Mary Ann Donahue] is unable to devote the time necessary to develop curriculum, supervise instruction, communicate effectively with parents, community members and the governance council members and build collaboratives to support student success while maintaining other responsibilities including driving the bus and cleaning rest rooms.”
This was shortly before the school district issued a “Notice to Cure and Correct,” which is the first step towards revoking a charter.
Clark’s report also cited “a consistent evidence of a lack of professionalism in the office and in interactions between staff and students. Attire worn by staff does not always represent the image appropriate for school employees. . . . Students demonstrate disrespect for staff, and are not consistently confronted with their behavior,” said the report.”
Donahue shrugged off these criticisms at the time with a response that included the observation that the school’s improvement in test results, “was the second highest improvement in San Diego County. . .”
The “concern with academic rigor,” she declared, was felt by parents to be Ken Clark’s “agenda.”
The school administration will recommend in April that the school board revoke the charter for the All Tribes school unless it takes the following actions:
• Replacement of the Senior Administrator and Secretary
• Cancel credit cards and close any supplemental bank accounts
• Complete WASC accreditation, or change the grade levels being served
• Become compliant with all issues addressed in the Notice to Cure and Correct
• Reimburse District for all staff time in addition to the Financial Clerk.
• Maintain strict adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding , the California School Accounting Manual, and all state, federal, and local regulations as applicable by law or statute.
It notes “While the school presents a select group of students an alternative to regular public education that may be beneficial to their individual success, historical data and experiences do not illustrate ATAIC’s ability to provide an adequate educational program for the students under this same organizational model. Therefore, renewal of this charger is not recommended without major changes to its organizational structure.”
Valley Center Middle School will present Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella March 24, 28, 30, 31 at 6:30 p.m. March 26 and April 2 at 2:00 p.m. Admission $6.00, Children 4 and under free.
The Valley Roadrunner
P.O.B. 1529, Valley Center, CA 92082
Tel. 760.749.1112 Fax 760.749.1688
Website: www.valleycenter.com
Email: editor@valleycenter.com
Copyright © 2006, Palomar Community Newspapers, dba Valley Roadrunner. All rights reserved. This content may not be archived, retransmitted, saved in a database, or used for any commercial purpose without the express written permission of the Valley Roadrunner.