The new El Tejon Unified School District Governing Board for 2015 looked energetic at the December 11 meeting: (l-r) new members Barbara Newbold and Misty Johnston took their oaths of office, then joined Vickie Mullen, Lark Shillig and John Fleming as trustees. ETUSD Superintendent Rodney Wallace is at right.
UPDATE: In place of a committee, this has turned into a public workshop. The last workshop is Thursday, Feb. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Continuation School building located in north western parking lot of Frazier Mountain High School (Falcon Way, off of Peace Valley Road in Lebec).
By Patric Hedlund
ETUSD seeks citizen volunteers for budget committee
Budget committee forms
Three community volunteers are needed for a budget committee being assembled by El Tejon Unified School District Supt. Rodney Wallace. At the December 11 ETUSD meeting, Wallace said he wants to see the committee get started by January. The group will also include two ETUSD trustees, two union reps, principals from three schools, the ETUSD superintendent and the business manager.
Email your letter of interest to Sarah Morris <smorris@el-tejon.k12.ca.us> with your qualifications.
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UPDATE DETAILS ON COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS FROM SUPERINTENDENT WALLACE:
The committee will meet Thursdays, 6-8 p.m., Jan. 15 through February 5, then submit their report to the ETUSD Board of Trustees.
Ø The Committee will be looking at ways to reduce expenditures and to balance the district’s budget
Ø This committee will be made up of ETUSD Board members, district and school site personnel plus the three community members
Meetings will be held on four consecutive Thursday evenings (January 15, 22, 29 and February 5, 2015) from 6 to 8 p.m.. A summary report will go to the ETUSD Board of Trustees for their February 12 board meeting.
If you are interested in being part of this effort, please contact the district office at 661.248.6247 and email a letter of interest to Sarah Morris <smorris@el-tejon.k12.ca.us> with your qualifications.
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New board
Vicki Mullen was re-elected on December 11 to wield the gavel for the 2015 term of the ETUSD Board of Trustees. Newly elected members Barbara Newbold and Misty Johnston took their oaths of office. Then a series of unanimous votes made quick work of formalizing agreements with the employees’ unions.
Financial projections
Sarah Morris, the district’s business manager, presented the first interim budget report to the board. With enrollment down another 51 students this year, revenues will plunge in the next academic year.
Average daily attendance (ADA) is projected to decline from 731 in 2015 to 685 in 2017.
Employee salaries and benefits are 66.7% of the budget. Special education is a $1.3 million deficit expense which is taken from the general fund, with $888,000 of that going to the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) for Special Ed services.
Unrestricted Fund 20 reserves were used this year to bring back teachers, pay for a cafeteria overrun and for the restricted reserve fund. Fund 20 will shrink from $1,019,614 in August 2014 to $68,034 for the coming year.
The agreement with the El Tejon Teachers Association (ETTA) includes a provision for two furlough days, which all district employees will take, to save the district about $40,000.
Meeting times
The board will continue to meet on the second Thursday of each month at the Continuation School at the Frazier Mountain High School campus in Lebec. Executive session is at 6 p.m. The public meeting is at 7 p.m.
Photo captions in this story:
Left: The new El Tejon Unified School District Governing Board for 2015 looked energetic at the December 11 meeting: (l-r) new members Barbara Newbold and Misty Johnston took their oaths of office, then joined Vickie Mullen, Lark Shillig and John Fleming as trustees. ETUSD Superintendent Rodney Wallace joined them for this portrait.
Left: The board voted unanimously to accept the contract with the teachers’ union. Above: Dennis Franey of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools office said ETUSD’s declining enrollment means revenue loss and budget challenges ahead.
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This is part of the December 26, 2014 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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