A concrete slab which had supported a temporary classroom at San Cayetano is being converted to a patio, and there will be steps from the patio to the kindergarten play area.

Board Member Tony Prado presided over the Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board Meeting on August 4, 2009. The Board reviewed salary schedules for the upcoming year, heard an update on facilities repairs and improvements, heard plans for welcoming staff back to school, and approved a bus contract.

School will start on August 19, 2009. Superintendent Jeff Sweeney said that staff were being welcomed back to school on Monday, August 17, 2009. Sweeney said on that Monday staff will receive training on the new data management system, Zangle, which Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush has been working to roll out. The motivational guest speaker for the day will be Jeff Eben (www.jeffeben.com). Teachers will be setting up classrooms on August 18th.

The Board postponed approval of the 2009-2010 Salary Schedules, because Board Members John Garnica and David Dollar were absent. Materials handed out at the Board meeting consisted of: the Certificated Salary Schedule, the Certificated Salary Schedule with Longevity, rates for Hourly Teaching Assignments, description of rates for Extra Services by Counselors, description of rates for Extra Period Teaching Assignments, the Extra Pay Schedule (Stipends), the School Psychologist/Coordinator Salary Schedule, the Management Salary Schedule with Longevity, Classified Job Titles and Longevity, the Classified Salary Schedule, and the Supervisory Employees Salary Schedule with Longevity. Substitute teachers’ pay rates were not included. Bush noted that approving the Schedules was a formality, and that the Schedules merely implemented decisions that the Board had previously made. Sweeney noted that the Certificated Salary Schedule includes the Fillmore Unified Teachers Association’s 1% raise. Bush noted that the Management Salary Schedule includes reductions to the number of days worked per year. When Prado asked whether the Schedules contained anything controversial, Bush replied that some people were not happy with working a shorter year but the Board had already considered that issue. Bush explained that he needs the Schedules approved to issue August paychecks, but said that the Board could approve them on August 18th, which is before paychecks would have been issued anyway.

The personnel order which was approved as part of the consent agenda included an increase in hours for high school teachers Mary Ellen Wortham (from 0.4 FTE to 1 FTE) and Henry Beltran (from 0.6 FTE to 1 FTE). Their new salaries are yet to be determined. Five Special Education Instructional Assistants (IA’s) had increases from the 6/19/2009 personnel order. Three at San Cayetano Elementary School went from 3.5 hours per day to 4 hours per day. Two of those increased their year by one day, and one increased by 10 days. Two Fillmore High School IA’s increased their year by one day.

The Board approved the 2009-2010 contract with Durham School Services L.P. to transport severely handicapped students to County programs. The total estimated cost of the transportation is $135,000, which Bush explained was a significant savings from prior years. Previously, FUSD participated in a cooperative agreement with Ventura County and other Ventura County school districts. Bush said that FUSD’s apportionment for transporting approximately the same number of students was $310,000 last year. The Board and staff discussed whether purchasing two more buses to avoid contracting out transportation would save even more money. They also discussed transporting sports teams; larger teams, such as football and track, require chartered buses for away games.

Bush reported that the impact of the State’s budget agreement on FUSD’s budget cannot be assessed yet, but he believes FUSD’s adopted budget is 93% accurate. He expects calculations to be available in two weeks.

Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush provided an extensive facilities update. Sweeney commented, “Little by little the facilities are becoming spectacular.” He thanked Facilities Director Bob Sube and Maintenance Manager Gama Aguilar for their hard work. Bush praised the work crews for learning new skills and increasing the quality of in-house work.

Piru Elementary School has new network wiring, is being painted, and will have a Frisbee-golf course. The Fillmore High School (FHS) cafeteria has new windows. The FHS gym is also getting new windows. The windows are vinyl, tinted, and double-paned. The announcers’ booth at the stadium underwent significant renovations, including new windows and seating arrangements. It was being painted on August 4th. Recycled rubber mulch is being installed under the playground equipment at Piru, Sespe, and San Cayetano schools before school starts. A concrete slab which had supported a temporary classroom at San Cayetano is being converted to a patio, and there will be steps from the patio to the kindergarten play area.

Bush said that all leaks in Fillmore Middle School (FMS) roofs have been fixed. Leaking scuppers were patched. Moreover, several staff members received training in roof repair.

Sespe Elementary School has major termite damage to Classrooms 7, 8, and 9. The termites are not subterranean, and have not spread to nearby buildings. Repairs involve tenting the building, replacing the floors, and setting teachers up in other classrooms for at least a semester. Termite repairs will cost $16,000. That same building has a rusting roof which will cost $1200 to fix. According to Bush, Sube has indicated that the repairs will keep the building usable for another 5 years.

Bush reported that the City’s Recycled Water Project is on schedule. The varsity baseball field will receive sod and new fencing, and be ready in October. The junior varsity baseball field will be reseeded. Courtesy of the City, the new pump building on Third St. includes a 15’ x 30’ storage area for baseball equipment. There are some areas of dead grass on the FHS and FMS campuses because the City had shut off water as part of the construction process. There have been some problems with the irrigation system at FMS, but construction there is back on schedule. Sod covers half of the FMS field, and the volleyball courts are being restored. The City is committed to fixing any construction damage, including the replacement of dead grass if necessary.

Designs for a new Sierra High School campus will be reviewed soon. Bush said the project is expected to start in 2010, and includes a finished and expanded parking lot near the stadium.

FUSD is continuing to choose a district-wide inspirational theme for each year. Last year’s theme was “Be the Change.” The 2007-2008 theme was “Making a Difference.” This year’s theme is “Power of One”.

The Board decided to hold the September 29th joint meeting with the City Council at FHS instead of the School Farm. It will still be a barbeque.