New Members Needed as Bond Oversight Group Begins Again

  • Three of seven members appointed 2.5 years ago to the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee met for their first working meeting February 5. Shown above, Superintendent Shelly Mason, Craig Stowell, Gary Meyer (observing, from The Mountain Enterprise), Michael Kanke and Caleb Kanke (a FMHS senior, serving as a student member). Stowell and the the Kankes said they would like to serve. This was the first time their duties had been explained to them. Four or more additional members (for a minimum of seven) are needed on the oversight committee, according to California state law. No school district employees can serve, and members (except for the student representative) must be 18 years of age or older. Applications may be secured from the ETUSD office, at www.eltejon.org, or at this website, www.MountainEnterprise.com at Community FYI, ETUSD (front page, left column). Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, Feb. 25.

    Three of seven members appointed 2.5 years ago to the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee met for their first working meeting February 5. Shown above, Superintendent Shelly Mason, Craig Stowell, Gary Meyer (observing, from The Mountain Enterprise), Michael Kanke and Caleb Kanke (a FMHS senior, serving as a student member). Stowell and the the Kankes said they would like to serve. This was the first time their duties had been explained to them. Four or more additional members (for a minimum of seven) are needed on the oversight committee, according to California state law. No school district employees can serve, and members (except for the student representative) must be 18 years of age or older. Applications may be secured from the ETUSD office, at www.eltejon.org, or at this website, www.MountainEnterprise.com at Community FYI, ETUSD (front page, left column). Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, Feb. 25.

One week after The Mountain Enterprise reported that the Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee had not been legally convened by El Tejon Unified School District for 2.5 years, a meeting was called. Now there are empty seats to fill.

Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009. They can be picked up from the ETUSD district office, at www.eltejon.org or at www.MountainEnterprise.com .

State law requires that a minimum of seven members meet to review the $7.12 million bond expenditures and report to the public. They are to confirm that funds are being spent in accord with the ballot measure; that money is not used for teacher or administrative salaries; and that maximum value is secured from bond proceeds.

Three of the seven members appointed 2.5 years ago attended their first working meeting on Thursday, Feb. 5. Craig Stowell, Michael and Caleb Kanke met with ETUSD Superintendent Shelly Mason. She explained the group’s duties and Brown Act open meeting laws. Two reporters from The Mountain Enterprise attended as observers.

–Reported by Patric Hedlund

This is part of the February 13, 2009 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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