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CUSD LOCAL INFO
Current CUSD Board of Trustees:
Ellen Addonizio Area 6
email: eaddonizio@capousd.org
Jack Brick Area 1 Board Clerk
email: jbrick@capousd.org
Anna Bryson Area 4 Board President
email: anna@annabryson.com
Larry Christensen Area 7
email: ljchristensen@capousd.org
Ken Lopez-Maddox Area 5 Board VP
email: kmaddox@capousd.org
Sue Palazzo Area 2
email: spalazzo@capousd.org
Mike Winsten Area 3
email: mwinsten@capousd.org
Current CUSD information can be found at www.capousd.org
Monthly 2010/2011 CUSD Board Meetings (7:00 pm):
September 14
October 12
November 9
December 7
January 11
February 8
March 8
April 12
May 10
June 7, 21
Second 2010 CUSD Monthly Board Meetings (Time TBD):
September 28
October 26
November TBD
December TBD
CUSD Budget:
The Board of Trustees passed a budget for the 2010/2011 school year on June 29 reflecting reductions of $34 million. Furloughs and salary concessions equaling 10% for CUEA (teachers), Teamsters (bus drivers), and CUMA (management) accounted for $22 million in savings to the district. Negotiations are still ongoing with CSEA (classified staff). In addition, the district has made further cuts through faculty and staff lay-offs and program reductions. The district will also temporarily “dip” into reserves to bring the budget into balance.
CUSD Issues on the November 2 Ballot:
1. Five trustee positions will be determined:
Trustees Addonizio, Bryson, and Christensen are running for re-election against opponents
Trustees Winsten and Lopez-Maddox have been named in recall petitions.
2. Measure “H” proposes to change the manner in which members of the Board of Trustees of the Capistrano Unified School District are elected. CUSD is divided into seven geographical regions or “trustee areas.” Currently, each governing board member must reside in the trustee area that he or she represents, but is elected by all voters living within the entire district.
· Voting “Yes” on Measure H will result in a change in the manner in which members of the Board of Trustees are elected (currently a “from trustee area” method) to a “by trustee area” method of election. Only those voters residing within a trustee area will elect the trustee for that particular trustee area. If Measure H passes it will take effect in the November 2012 Board of Trustee election.
· Voting “No” on Measure H will not change the current method of electing members of the Board of Trustees. Each governing board member will continue to be elected by the voters of the entire school district.
STATE INFO
State Officials:
Assemblyman Jeff Miller, District 71
20532 El Toro Rd. Suite 203
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
(949) 598-7171
Sacramento Office –
State Capitol Room 3147
(916) 319-2071
Email: assemblymember.miller@assembly.ca.gov
www.asm.ca.gov/miller
Senator Mimi Walters, District 33
24031 El Toro Rd. Suite 210
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949) 457-7333
Sacramento Office –
State Capitol Room 3082
(916) 651-4033
Email: senator.walters@senate.ca.gov
www.senate.ca.gov/walters
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 445-2841
www.gov.ca.gov/
California State Budget:
The 2010/2011 fiscal year began on July 1 without a budget and as of September, the Senate and Assembly have yet to pass a budget package to address a $20 billion deficit. However, significant cuts to K-12 Education are expected and school districts are also preparing for delayed payments.
Education Jobs Fund:
Passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama this month, the Education Jobs Fund is designed to keep teachers in the classroom. California anticipates approximately $1.2 billion - representing the cost of an estimated 13,500 jobs. CUSD can expect approximately $7 - $10 million.
Except for 2 percent for administrative costs, the money can only be spent to create or retain education jobs. None of the funds can be used for a rainy-day fund, to service or reduce a state's debt, for school district general administrative expenses, or other support services. For this grant, as well as other stimulus grants, states must show Maintenance of Effort (MOE) for elementary, secondary, and higher education.
In the absence of a state budget, the California Department of Education requires legislative authority to disburse the $1.2 billion to school districts.
Senator Steinberg has authored SB 847 (Senate Bill), an urgency measure strongly supported by PTA, which passed out of the Legislature and is now on its way to the Governor's desk.
SB 847 specifies that the funds are to be disbursed to school districts, county offices of education and charter schools, on the basis of revenue limits, within 14 days of the passage of this act or notification to the state of a federal funding award, whichever is later. As per the federal legislation, the funds are to be used only for compensation, benefits and other expenses necessary to retain existing employees, to recall or rehire former employees and to hire new employees providing school-level education and related services. Funds must be used before September 30, 2012.
CA State PTA Positions on Propositions on the November 2 Ballot:
Proposition 19: Neutral
Proposition 24: Support
Proposition 25: Support
A special election package is being assembled by CA State PTA.
School District Funding:
21.0% Property Taxes (Revenue Limit or General Fund)– Part of Prop 98
61.0% State Dollars (Revenue Limit and Categoricals)– Part of Prop 98
11.0% Federal Dollars (Title I, Special Education)
1.5% Lottery
5.5% Other local Funds/Miscellaneous (leases, parcel taxes)
FEDERAL INFO
Federal Representatives:
Senator Barbara Boxer
112 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3553
Email: senator@boxer.senate.gov
www.boxer.senate.gov
Senator Diane Feinstein
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3841
Email: senator@feinstein.senate.gov
www.feinstein.senate.gov
Congressman Ken Calvert, 44th District
2201 Rayburn Building
Washington DC 20515
(202) 225-1986
http://calvert.house.gov
Common Core Standards:
The National Governors Association released the Common Core Standards for grades K-12 in June. The standards are for English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics, and are designed to establish clear and consistent nationwide goals for students that will also make the students college and career ready. The standards were developed by a group of stakeholders including states, teachers, school administrators and parents, and took a year to develop.
In California, a commission met during the summer to decide whether or not to adopt the standards. Some experts believed that California’s standards were already very rigorous, and that the adoption of the common core standards would be an expensive and time-consuming process. However, the commission did agree to adopt the common core standards.
As a result, over the next few years, changes will be seen in the areas of curriculum, testing, and textbooks. There will be some changes in ELA but more in math (particularly grade 8 Algebra 1).
Race to the Top Funds:
California submitted its application for up to $700 million in federal Race to the Top grant funds on June 1. This application was spearheaded by seven school districts, with a total of 300 school districts statewide joining the application. Santa Ana Unified School District was the only school district in Orange County that signed onto the application.
Nationwide, 35 states and the District of Columbia applied for a share of $3.4 billion in Race to the Top funds in this second round.
In late August, 14 states were awarded RTTP funds and California was not one of them.
ELECTION AND VOTER INFO
General Election Information:
If needed, voter registration forms can be picked up at a library, post office, DMV, or city hall.
You will need to submit a form if you are new to the area, have moved, changed your name, or changed your political party.
Next election: November 2, 2010
Important Dates:
· October 4-26 – Applications for vote-by-mail ballots
· October 18 – Last day to register to vote
· November 2 – Last day for the county election office to receive your vote-by-mail application
· November 2 – Election day (polls open from 7am – 8pm)
Election Information Websites:
ocvote.com OC County Registrar of Voters
smartvoter.org League of Women Voters
sos.ca.gov Secretary of State – voter information
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