December 2007 Column
General District Update:
All school campuses continue to hum along with activities.
During the last week of October, Mother Nature gave the students some understanding of her power. The wild firestorms created a very unhealthy environmental condition.
The first three days of the week, the students were indoors throughout the School District, including students from all sites in Ladera Ranch.
As the situation worsened, all schools were closed during the last two days of the week.
The District maintenance personnel were busy cleaning the campuses before opening on October 29. Job well done District maintenance personnel!
Recall of Ms. Draper and Benecke:
I understand the signature gathering process is continuing. For further details please visit www.CUSDrecall.com.
Issues Concerning Facilities in Various Schools:
The parents of San Juan Hills High School students requested that the football stadium, swimming pool and two-story portable classroom be provided, as promised.
Parents from both Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano asked that their classrooms and student bathrooms be brought to a standard close to South Orange County living.
Money being the issue in both cases, the Board voted to table the issue until a clear understanding of source and amount of funding is determined.
Ladera Ranch Update:
As we in Ladera Ranch are not managed by a city administration, it is hard for us to know how much we contribute to the community facility district funds (CFDs), not to mention how those funds may be used.
Recently the City Council of neighboring Ranch Santa Margarita audited the CFDs and confirmed that its money, about $1.5 million worth, was diverted by CUSD to build the administration building.
Who knows how much from Ladera Ranch was diverted to the building, as well?
We in Ladera Ranch pay one of the highest amounts in Mello Roos taxes. Yet, we truly do not know the accounting of our tax dollars.
We need representation at the CUSD so that our interest is tracked along with all of the other CUSD schools.
We need representation at all levels of government so that our interest is preserved and tax dollars are spent for our infrastructure, benefiting the children, families and community of Ladera Ranch!
Ram C. Mukherji
Ladera Ranch
(Editor's Note: Ram Mukherji, a former elected school board member and President of the LARMAC Board of Directors, is expected to be a candidate for the Capistrano Unified School Board in District 2, which includes all of Ladera Ranch, a seat currently held by Marlene Draper. He would run in 2008, or earlier should the seat be vacated before then by the resignation or recall of Ms. Draper.)
All school campuses continue to hum along with activities.
During the last week of October, Mother Nature gave the students some understanding of her power. The wild firestorms created a very unhealthy environmental condition.
The first three days of the week, the students were indoors throughout the School District, including students from all sites in Ladera Ranch.
As the situation worsened, all schools were closed during the last two days of the week.
The District maintenance personnel were busy cleaning the campuses before opening on October 29. Job well done District maintenance personnel!
Recall of Ms. Draper and Benecke:
I understand the signature gathering process is continuing. For further details please visit www.CUSDrecall.com.
Issues Concerning Facilities in Various Schools:
The parents of San Juan Hills High School students requested that the football stadium, swimming pool and two-story portable classroom be provided, as promised.
Parents from both Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano asked that their classrooms and student bathrooms be brought to a standard close to South Orange County living.
Money being the issue in both cases, the Board voted to table the issue until a clear understanding of source and amount of funding is determined.
Ladera Ranch Update:
As we in Ladera Ranch are not managed by a city administration, it is hard for us to know how much we contribute to the community facility district funds (CFDs), not to mention how those funds may be used.
Recently the City Council of neighboring Ranch Santa Margarita audited the CFDs and confirmed that its money, about $1.5 million worth, was diverted by CUSD to build the administration building.
Who knows how much from Ladera Ranch was diverted to the building, as well?
We in Ladera Ranch pay one of the highest amounts in Mello Roos taxes. Yet, we truly do not know the accounting of our tax dollars.
We need representation at the CUSD so that our interest is tracked along with all of the other CUSD schools.
We need representation at all levels of government so that our interest is preserved and tax dollars are spent for our infrastructure, benefiting the children, families and community of Ladera Ranch!
Ram C. Mukherji
Ladera Ranch
(Editor's Note: Ram Mukherji, a former elected school board member and President of the LARMAC Board of Directors, is expected to be a candidate for the Capistrano Unified School Board in District 2, which includes all of Ladera Ranch, a seat currently held by Marlene Draper. He would run in 2008, or earlier should the seat be vacated before then by the resignation or recall of Ms. Draper.)