All the schools in Capo Unified are in full swing with GATE tests, preparation for SAT examination, and so on.
The heavy rain in South County has brought some extra curricular activities and program cancellation. There are no casualties reported and there was no property damage except some toppled trees in Ladera Ranch.
The CUSD Trustees have agreed to apply for a slice of the $4 billion federal stimulus package known as "Race to the Top."
There are about 20 Orange County districts applying for the money. California schools are expecting about $700 of the fund. Once the CUSD's letter of intent is approved, the District will know how much money it would receive from the federal aid. Whatever it is, this will be of some assistance in coping with the $25 million shortfall.
Third Recall in the last Five Years is in the works.
At the January 12 Board meeting, Mr. Frank Larkin, a community activist, submitted Petitions to Recall two Trustees – Mr. Mike Winsten and Ken Loppez-Maddox. Mr. Larkin asked the meeting attendees to stand up if they believe there are grounds for recall.
Almost all the attendees in the packed Board room stood up and remained standing until the Petitions to recall were presented to the Board.
This recall is spearheaded by a new grass-roots group known as Parents for Local Control, consisting of parents, teachers, and citizens. If the petitions are signed by 22,000 voters and approved by the Register of Voters, the recall election will be held with the currently scheduled November 2 General election thereby eliminating additional cost.
The petition contained ten signatures headed by Kavin Murphy, the leader of original recall, former CUSD Trustee, Pete Espinosa, and eight other local prominent residents.
The grounds for recall cites many reasons including rundown school facilities, payments to friends and associates for legal and consulting fees, rising class sizes, failure to follow the Brown Act (open meeting law), the approval of out-of-court settlements thereby paying their political supporters and campaign donors, and opposition to the parent-led initiative to conduct election by trustee area.
For more info on this, see my past columns at www.LaderaTimes.com.
The CUSD's Children First group's ballot initiative to change the way the voters elect the trustees is set for June election. But the CUSD Trustees did not approve the waiver for the state to mandate the election of trustees by district. Hence the June special election may cost the District over $500,000. Erin Kutnick who led this initiative has gone to the Orange County Committee on School District Organization and requested the change in voting date to November, 2010 thereby avoiding additional cost for this election. The matter is under review by the Committee. Here are a couple of observations: CUSD now has three voters groups, the third being the CUSD Recall Group whose seven members are sitting on the Board. In a past column a couple of years ago, I wrote about name-calling during the Board meetings. With the reform Board in place, that practice is still continuing! At the January 12 Board one speaker called another one "Pin Head!" If I was presiding over a public meeting I would have issued a stern warning to the speaker against such practice.