School Closure Board Study Session date announced

Superintendent Lawrence has advised the PAC that the Board study session will take place on Weds 1/19 at 5:30pm.  Location will be announced by Monday.  Stay tuned.

Will you attend?

Remember you can find minutes, agendas and even the pros and cons for each scenario that the committee considered here on their webpage:  School Closure Advisory Committee - MDUSD 

And as a reminder of the 3 scenarios the board will be considering, here is a screen capture/excerpt of the December 13th minutes you can view at the link above.

 

Also, Theresa Harrington (http://www.ibabuzz.com/onassignment/) has reported that the Superintendent said the district will give parents 30 days from the date the school closures are announced to apply for transfers.  Normally, these intradistrict transfer requests are due 1/15 (which personally I'd still adhere to for now), but they will allow extra time in the event your chosen, or home school is impacted by a closure.

Parent Advisory Council Meeting is tonight 7pm

SUPERINTENDENT’S PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 7:00 p.m.
Board Room, MDUSD Dent Center

I. Welcome and Introductions

II. Budget Update – Steven Lawrence

III. School Closure Update – Rose Lock

Speaking of School Closure updates, did anyone else read the minutes posted from the SCAC meeting on December 13th? This was the evening they voted on their recommendations. I found it interesting that in the public comment, there was no Sequoia parent? Was that because time was limited and a Sequoia parent was just not at the front of the line? With all the hoopla on the other post here, and no public comment? What am I missing?  Also, here are the pros and cons the committee considered with their recommendations:  Scenario Pros and Cons

P.S. If you are on the PAC, would you be willing to email a recap tonight? I can include your name, or you can be anonymous -I am unable to attend. Email mdusdparents@gmail.com. THANKS! I welcome contributions from others in the community.

The votes are in, they may shock some of you

The committee has recommended to close..... This from Theresa Harrington of the Times tweeting during the meeting:

(be sure to read her blog, linked below, for full details, how the votes were tallied and what happens next)

TunedToTheresa #MDUSD school closure committee recommends closing Glenbrook MS, Silverwood, Holbrook, Wren, Sequoia MS, Sequoia Elem and Monte Gardens
4 minutes ago

Follow Theresa here : www.Twitter.com/tunedtotheresa

Stay calm people... Do the right thing and write your letters to the board with constructive alternatives and tact. Remember, the board is the deciding body....

Be sure to read her blog and the comments for other reader commentary before you react, there is more to the story....

These are not the final recommendations according to Theresa's report at her blog, http://www.ibabuzz.com/onassignment/ . See how the votes landed by reading at her site.

School closure committee is voting.... Tonight

Just in from Theresa Harrington. The committee is voting on their recommendation now (6:15pm). Hope someone will report in soon with the results. Health has prevented me from attending tonight myself, but anxiously awaiting word.

As you all have probably also heard, the Board study session has been postponed until January. I assume this will mean Simeon concessions will have to be made for intradistrict transfer students if transferring in or out of a school on the list. Until it ia finalized, much will remain in flux.

Remember the committee will vote, but the board can come up with their own solution. They are an 'advisory' committee, the board is the ultimate decision making body. You will have time for public comment.

We should thank the committee for their hard work... This cant have been easy.

School closure options, as the decision draws near

Soon, the School Closure Committee will be voting on their recommendation to take the board.  Since our last topic covering school closures got heated and garnered almost 150 comments, I thought I'd start fresh here, and be sure that people get themselves up to speed.

REMINDER:  There is a School Closure Committee Meeting Monday, December 13th. 
REMINDER:  Agendas, Minutes and Presentations are all available ONLINE
REMINDER:  Any scenario may be chosen, and all schools were evaluated based on criteria set forth
REMINDER:  There is a public comment period at the closure committee meetings

Did you read the Times article whereas Theresa Harrington outlined the committee proposals to be voted on?  You can see that online here

Everything listed is on the table folks.  But please don't just get hostile, and think your school shouldn't be closed because it's "best."  These school closures will impact many, and no one wants THEIR school closed.  It will surely impact the intradistrict transfers, and it will impact neighborhoods.  It may require some re-drawing of school boundaries and it may require some outside the box thinking.  So instead of getting hostile, help come up with a better solution.  Take your anger to Sacramento. 

Someone said something in a previous thread that parents should be able to have their voices heard even this early in the process - folks - this is NOT early.  This is nearing the end.  Again, with everything else, and I know I know - it's my pet peeve - but with everything else, no one pays attention until it might impact them. I guess it's human nature, but I hope it's a wake up call that these budget cuts are very real.  They will hurt across all schools, all demographics and many families.  School closures are happening across the state, we aren't the only ones.  But be part of the solution, not a problem.

Local student, Stephanie Cudd, still missing

Stephanie, who is 15 years old, hasn't been seen in several days now, and we hope you're helping to spread the word of her disappearance. Someone must know something.

Here's a few places you can get more information:

www.findstephaniecudd.com


http://www.facebook.com/helpfindstephanie

And from the facebook page:
If anyone has any information on Stephanie's location, they can contact the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department at 925-646-2441, case # 10-21998.

School closure committee sort through recommendations

The Times brings us details today of which schools are being looked at for possible closure recommendations.

The list is quite large, and interestingly the article notes that beside the recommendations of the committee itself, the Superintendent's Council of district administrators prepared a scenario of their own. The official school closure Committee is expected to vote on their recommendations on Monday. Details below.

For the full Times article : http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_16744608

Be sure to read he detailed list of options here:

The list is :


Ayers Elementary, Concord; Bancroft Elementary, Walnut Creek; El Monte Elementary, Concord; Fair Oaks Elementary, Pleasant Hill; Glenbrook Middle, Concord; Gregory Gardens Elementary, Pleasant Hill; Holbrook Elementary, Concord; Monte Gardens Elementary, Concord; Oak Grove Middle, Concord; Rio Vista Elementary, Bay Point; Sequoia Elementary, Pleasant Hill; Sequoia Middle, Pleasant Hill; Shore Acres Elementary, Bay Point; Silverwood Elementary, Concord; Wren Elementary, Concord.

The school closure committee expects to vote on proposed recommendations at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Willow Creek Center, 1026 Mohr Lane in Concord. Information is available by calling 925-682-8000, ext. 4015, or by going to www.mdusd.org. Click on "community," then select "School Closure Committee."

6.5 million in fed jobs bill $$ to MDUSD salaries

According to the Times today, Contra Costa school districts struggle to stay afloat, Teresa Harrington tells us that the MDUSD will likely use the 6.5 million dollars from the Federal Jobs Act to pay a portion of employee salaries and benefits.  This money would normally be paid from the general fund per Brian Richards, our district's CFO.

The article provides some more detail about this expenditure, as well as the requirements (per the County's conditional approval of the MDUSD 2010-11 budget) that districts, including MDUSD, create a "fiscal recovery plan" and revised three year projections by December 15th.

I don't know what would be happening right now if this 6.5 million was not available?  Does anyone know?

Within the article:

Five Contra Costa County school districts are struggling to stay fiscally solvent in the next three years as they grapple with state budget cuts, declining enrollment and failed tax measures.

"We're advising districts that they need to conserve their cash," said Peggy Marshburn, spokeswoman for the Contra Costa County Office of Education. "The budget picture at the state level is much more bleak" than anticipated.

Going from bad to worse...  how much further can we go?

Superintendent's Parent Advisory Council meeting cancelled

Next week's PAC meeting has been cancelled. See the message below:

The PAC meeting scheduled for December 1 has been cancelled.   Our next meeting will held on Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.  We will be back in the Board Room at the Dent Center.
 
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  See you in 2011.
 
Loreen
 
Loreen Joseph
Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent
Mt. Diablo Unified School District
925-682-8000 ext. 4000

MDUSD Celebrate Dick Allen and Paul Strange

Celebrating Richard "Dick" Allen and Paul Strange

See invite

Please join the MDUSD Board of Education in honoring and celebrating Dick Allen and Paul Strange for their "Years of Service" on the Board of Education. November 29, 2010 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Dent Center, Board Room 1936 Carlotta Drive, Concord

You may RSVP or enter messages for the outgoing board members HERE.

Questions: Contact Loreen Joseph at 925.682.8000 ext. 4000