The Kern High School District projected budget shortfall for 2009-10 is $20 million.

The list presented to the KHSD board on Jan. 23 is a starting point for discussion about how to close a projected 17% deficit. No decisions about cuts were made at the meeting.

"Level 1" and "Level 2" designate first-step and full-blown cuts. The board is not likely to eliminate any programs to the full extent.

About $70 million in categorical funds may become available for the district to spread around to backfill other programs, depending on the final state budget.

The next board meeting is Monday, Feb. 2.

POTENTIAL EXPENDITURE REDUCTIONS
Kern High School District 2009-10 school year                    

Category of funding: District support

REDUCE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
Change walk-in boundary to 2.5 miles with no consideration for safe routes except train rails without crossings. 
(Level 1: $1,124,000)

Eliminate all home-to-school transportation in Greater Bakersfield.
(Level 2: $4,100,000)

REDUCE MAINTENANCE & OPERATIONS SERVICES
Maintenance (Level 1:  $1,000,000)
Operations (Level 1:  $900,000)
Deferred Maintenance (Level 1:  $1,500,000)

REDUCE BUSINESS, FINANCIAL & FACILITIES SERVICES
Warehousing, Contracts, Construction, etc
(Level 1: $484,000)

TRANSFER ASBESTOS FUND TO GENERAL FUND
(Level 1: $1,600,000)

REDUCE Information Systems & Technology support
(Level 1: $320,000)

REDUCE DISTRICT OFFICE DEPT. BUDGETS & MISCELLANEOUS SAVINGS
One time sweep of carry-over
(Level 1: $500,000)

REDUCE DISTRICT OFFICE PERSONNEL
(Level 1: $549,000)

REDUCE SPECIAL EDUCATION EXPENDITURES
(Level 1: $500,000)

REDUCE  K.H.S.D. POLICE DEPARTMENT
(Level 1: $175,000)

REDUCE DISTRICT OFFICE ADMINISTRATIVE & BOARD TRAVEL
(Level 1: $15,000)

RE-ORGANIZE PRINCIPAL PARTNERS’ DAY
(Level 1: $10,000)

CLOSE THE DISTRICT OFFICE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER
(Level 1: $20,000)

REDUCE ATHLETIC PROGRAM
Eliminate JV teams in football, softball, basketball, baseball and volleyball
($430,000)

Eliminate Frosh/Soph teams in football, softball, basketball, baseball and volleyball ($410,000)

Eliminate the entire program; coaches, trainers, 50% time finance secretaries, athletic directors, transportation, subs, etc   
(Level 2:  $6,100,000)

ELIMINATE LIBRARY SERVICES
(Level 2:  $1,370,000)

ELIMINATE NUEVA CAL SAFE PROGRAM
(Level 1: $80,000)

REDUCE SCHOOL SITE BUDGETS
10%  (Level 1: $370,000)
20%  (Level 2: $740,000

REDUCE THE SCHOOL SITE ENERGY SAVING INCENTIVE
50%     (Level 1: $285,000)
100%   (Level 2: $570,000)

REDUCE ONE CAMPUS SUPERVISOR PER SITE
(Level 2: $814,680)

REDUCE DEANS OF STUDENTS BY FIVE DAYS
(Level 1: $43,000)

TOTALS:
Level 1: $10,315,000

Level 2: $23,164,000

CATEGORY: SCHOOL SITES
SECOND SEMESTER STAFFING EFFICIENCIES
Level I: $1,000,000
and
Level 2:  $1,000,000

SCHOOL SITE PERSONNEL REDUCTIONS
Teachers, Counselors, Clerical & Administration
Level I:  $8,685,000 (200 school staff)

Level 2: $15,466,000 (400 school staff)
 

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CSUB's application deadline is March 1.

First-time freshmen who want to attend CSUB this fall have to apply by March 1.

CSUB is one of nine CSU campuses still accepting new students for next fall.
Most of the 23 CSUs stopped accepting applications in November as a result of the state’s fiscal crisis.

Last week the University of California reduced its freshman enrollment for 2009 by 6 percent, or 2,300 students.

How to apply:
www.csumentor.edu

Admissions office: 654-3036

KHSD posted an FAQ about its proposed career technical education program:
http://www.khsd.k12.ca.us/i...

The Santa Rosa City Schools implemented career-technical education for the class of 2004.  KHSD's program has some similarities to the Santa Rosa model. 

A four-year sample schedule for a student focusing on vocal music  in the Performing Arts pathway:

Six out of 24 courses are pathway-specific courses. In this schedule, the student takes four years of English, four years of science, three years of history and math, and two years of foreign language: 

http://www.highschoolchoice...

KHSD teachers are concerned kids won't have the flex in their schedules to take both foreign language, fine arts, and the college-prep curriculum. Some also question if the district can afford to do this right now, as budget cuts are on the way.
 

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The Kern County Board of Education met for nearly five hours on Tuesday night to discuss the application for the Paramount Bard Academy Charter school. A decision was postponed until the Feb. 10 meeting, but supporters of the school took that as a good sign.

“I don’t think their intent is to put us off, it felt very genuine,” said Paramount Bard principal Brent Malicote, who said he felt the presentation by Paramount officials went over well with the board.

“The board asked lots of really good questions. It just felt really strong,” Malicote said.
For nearly 30 minutes the board questioned how the school would operate, asking for details about the expulsion process, and the makeup of the charter’s board, and to whom it would be accountable.

In November, the Delano Union School Board voted to deny a charter for the school.     Under California charter law, the next application for the school is made to the county; a no vote sends  a final proposal to the state level. A charter school is accountable to the agency that approves its plan.

Romeo Agbalog, one of two DUSD board members who voted in favor of the charter school at the Nov. 17 meeting, said Paramount’s presentation might have gone smoother this time around before the county board, but the facts were the same.

After the meeting, he was still in favor of the charter school. 

“I would like to see the charter come to Delano to provide competition, to challenge us to do an even better job to build on the successes in the past,” said Agbalog, a board member since 2004.

Paramount Bard Academy: 
http://paramountbard.com/

It was a lively Monday night meeting in the board room of the Kern High School District.

Teachers marched to the speaker’s podium in waves, voicing concerns almost exclusively about the proposed career-tech education program.

Board members parried with answers, and a few questions.

Superintendent Carter offered some explanations.

Parents, students, and community members were outnumbered by faculty, but had pointed questions when it was their turn.

And there was a comic moment.

For the most part he offered clear responses to speaker questions, but Trustee Chad Vegas appeared to bobble when it came to a question about whether the board had done enough to provide the community with schedule and planning information about the career-tech program.

Pause.

Vegas: 

Not to be media bashing, but the unfortunate fact is the comic book called The Bakersfield Californian chose to write about drug dogs and only one line about career tech last week.

Well, yes. Vegas is correct. The story last week was mostly about the drug dog program scheduled to begin next month.

Would one week be enough time to make an informed decision about career tech? 

The board has been turning over the career tech idea for two years.

Here’s what board president Joel Heinrichs said (after the meeting) about the question of the board’s interaction with the community:

“We need to put together an FAQ and respond to the budget questions, and get out there and meet faculty at each campus.

“We obviously need to get out there and have a longer conversation. There’s legitimate questions we need to talk through.”

Californian story about the career-tech education program:
http://www.bakersfield.com/...

KHSD web site with full report about career-tech education:
http://www.khsd.k12.ca.us/i...

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The public is invited to provide input for the next strategic priorities for the Kern High School District at two board meetings: 

Monday, Jan. 12, 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 16, 8 a.m.
Meetings will be held at the KHSD district office:  5801 Sundale Ave.

“Maximizing student succuss,” is the umbrella title for the district’s current goals, but board president Joel Heinrichs would like to see a set of more “actionable” items for the next strategic plan. 

The development of the  career technical education program, planned to start next year, is an example of the type of goal the board can work toward, Heinrichs said.  
 
“In general I want to broaden the choices students and parents have to meet the diverse needs of this community,” Heinrichs said.

A few of his ideas: Online learning through virtual high schools; more focused learning opportunities, perhaps through charter schools; and a transfer policy that allows students to move to schools with programs they want to do.

On Monday the board will listen to ideas from the public; on Friday the board will listen some more, and discuss the ideas.

The board plans to finalize priorities for the next two years at its March 2 meeting.

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The KHSD Board of Trustees plans to revise graduation requirements at its February meeting. If enough questions arise from the community, the board may hold off on a decision until March.

The board has studied the "career technical education" plan for two years and likely will implement the plan starting next year, for the class of 2013.

Ninth graders next year will consider a career technical path, or a college-bound pathway (or a hybrid of the two).

Said board president Joel Heinrichs: "This does not represent a wholesale change in our curriculum. Approximately 75% of our 2008 graduates would have met the 2013 requirements.

We are proposing, rather, that students and parents be encouraged to think about their aspirations as they enter high school and focus their efforts more effectively, so that each graduate is prepared for work, additional career training, and/or college." 

Heinrichs noted fine arts:

"Note fine arts fans--as is discussed in the materials referenced below, the state of California recognized 15 pathways – including a fine arts pathway – so students may use their fine arts courses to fulfill this requirement." 

The slideshow, "Proposed Pathways Graduation Requirement Change," offers a detailed look at the program: 
http://www.kernhigh.org/Ins...

Read more: 
KHSD tech ed program on track despite budget woes: 
http://www.bakersfield.com/...

 

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On Thursday the Taft College Board of Trustees will formally vote to give its superintendent a low-interest home loan of $82,000.

The loan looks like a big expenditure for a community college in these days of education budget cuts, but the Taft College board feels this is a good investment to secure the leader they want.

"It is a loan, not a gift," said Taft's board president Carolyn Hosking. This is the first time the college has offered this type of compensation to a president or superintendent, she said.

Taft College Superintendent/President William Duncan worked at Taft College for 10 years; he was interim superintendent before he was offered the top position. His annual salary is $175,000.

The loan is set up so that the low-interest rate paid on the loan will "be at least what we would earn in the county treasury," according to Hosking, who said strict guidelines have been set up for repayment of the loan.

The low-interest loan will help to cover the gap between the sale of Duncan's home in Bakersfield and purchase of a home in Taft (on the Buena Vista Golf Course), Hosking said.

Colleges in California are bracing for budget cuts, but Taft College is in good condition financially for the time being.

"We're probably better off than others," said Hosking, who said a deep reserve fund was helping the college avoid cuts thus far.

Bakersfield College, Fresno City College and Santa Barbara City College do not offer
their chancellors, superintendents or presidents housing or low-cost loans.

Taft College Board of Directors:
http://www.taftcollege.edu/...

A drug-sniffing dog could be on patrol in Kern high schools as soon as mid-February, following a decision by the Kern High School District trustees to move ahead with a canine drug-detection program.

A proposed language change in the policy was withdrawn at the last minute at the January 5 board meeting.

Attorneys for the district had asked that the word "deterrent" be taken out of the drug policy to avoid legal questions about privacy -- but the issue proved to be a moot point because the district policy does not include backpack searches.

"It really is a deterrent program. That's why I was sensitive not to have a word change," trustee Ken Mettler said after the meeting.

"I don't want someone to say 'they're not finding any contraband'... our goal is to be a deterrent," said Mettler, who said the district was following exact guidelines proven by the courts and currently in use in other districts.

Read full story: 

http://www.bakersfield.com/...