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Posted by: Charity_Maness on 09/10/2010 02:30 PM Updated by: thepinetree on 11/29/2014 01:41 PM
Expires: 01/01/2015 12:00 AM
:

Mark Twain School Board Appoints Principal/Superintendent and Covers Unification Info ~ By, Charity Maness

At the Mark Twain Union Elementary School Board meeting September 9, 2010, with the full board in attendance and approximately 18 citizens, teaching staff, and classified present, Board president Gary McGeorge stated, “The board is pleased to announce(the appointment) of Julia Tidball to the position of principal/superintendent to take effect January 1, 2011.” The vote was 5/0 for appointment. Julia Tidball, a teacher since 1988 and principal at Copperopolis Elementary since 2000 will be replacing the current MTUESD Superintendent Kathy Northington who was elected to the position of Calaveras County Superintendent of Schools, her duties becoming effective January 2011. President McGeorge stated the Board will annually evaluate the feasibility of restoring the Principal position at Copperopolis Elementary.

John Brophy, Calaveras County Superintendent of Schools, addressed the audience regarding unification with “A Primer on School District Reorganization” handout prepared by Mr. Brophy with excerpts from the California Department of Education District Reorganization Handbook.
He stated “There are many factors (involved in unification) financial, personnel, curriculum, negotiations, and community identification.”

“I am not here to argue for or against unification,” said Brophy, adding that his prepared presentation was, “Just information (to) lay out the process and procedure.”

Brophy said that if unification were to occur there would be, “One school board, with possible trustee areas based on population,” pointing out that the new board is under “no requirement to follow previous boards’ decisions.” He went on to say, consideration needs to be given to “funding… being a blended revenue limit…properties owned how they would be divided… bond indebtedness would have to be reconciled… and new contracts would need to be negotiated recognizing retiree benefits.”

Brophy laid out the multiple steps required to seek unification.
Petition for unification study, State Board determining if petition is sufficient, public hearings, provide proposed action to LAFCO (Local Agency Formation Committee), county committee to study impact. Following these steps is a six step approval process culminating in the approval or disapproval of the State Board of Education. If approval is given an election is held.

Questions from the board and the audience followed.

Trustee Rollings stated, “The crux of the matter is what the blended base revenue limit is going to be and that is just one component of what kind of funding will become. Speaking of our district we are in a fiscal crisis that I believe could last to 2015” she stated “the developer fees that will be coming into the district…having control over it instead of going all the way up the hill and being diluted again is a consideration.” Adding, “Something that we do now because of a fiscal crisis having a long term effect is something that I am concerned about.”

Trustee Eltringham said, “I know it’s so rough now, the economy…I truly believe it is going to get better, the frightening part to me is to make a major move like this that will affect us for fifty to one hundred years. And then stand back and say ‘What did we do?’ And when things get rough we close a smaller school.” Eltringham pointed out, as did Mr. Brophy, that the MTEUSD has in the past “shared food service and transportation in hopes of cutting costs” but “the two combined equaled about a forty five thousand dollar loss.” Said Eltringham. “When does the public get to vote on this? It’s pretty presumptuous to have a few people sitting on boards’ make decision like that without getting the public involved.”

Trustee Bateman asked, “In regards to certificated (teachers) they (the new board under unification) will come in and even out the salaries, I’d imagine teachers in the higher categories will not want to step down.”

Brophy replied, “You cannot have different salary schedules for the same group of people.”

Eltringham, “Does that go to negotiations?”

Brophy, “The new board would have to handle that.”

Jeff Airola questioned the board, “Would it be possible to get an advisory vote to get sense a of how the people in the communities feel about it? “

Mr. Brophy responded, “You could hire a firm to come in and call a sample of parents and poll them or mail out a survey.”

Karen Tafjen asked, “Is there any risk in unifying that a smaller school could be closed down?”

Mr. Brophy replied, “Yes. A board could decide as a money saving matter to close schools.”

Tafjen then asked, “If you have children within a certain area there’s not a restriction as to the proximity of a school to the student population?”

Mr. Brophy replied, “No.”

Steve Lowry asked, “Is LAFCO the primary agency that determines economic feasibility?”

Mr. Brophy stated, “No. LAFCO determines environmental impact, if they exist.”

Debbie Costello, MTUESD director of business services, addressed the audience. “The State may not approve unification if we stand to lose funding for categorical programs.”

Brophy stated there is an approximate cost of $5000.00 to determine what the new blended revenue limit would be in consolidating the two union elementary school districts.



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