Fillmore Unified School District

Five teachers from San Cayetano Elementary School told the Fillmore Unified School District Board Tuesday night about their experiences at the Johnson Space Center.

Those who participated included Melony Chisholm, who introduced the rest of the team. Others participating were: Brandy Walker, Scott Olson, Vivianna Laureano and Rory Mous. “This is one of the most extraordinary experiences I have ever had,” said Chisholm.

The group spent 12 days at the Center, working with engineers and scientists. Their task was to assemble the Plumbing Micro Gravity experiment, which their students had built earlier with a grant from NASA. San Cayetano was one of 10 schools accepted for the grant. The experiment measured gravity and weightlessness. Each member of the team was presented a Power of One award plaque by Board President Tony Prado. He congratulated them on their outstanding work in science and as teachers at San Cayetano School.

Their Principal, Jan Marholin, was also surprised with a Power of One award. “We are presenting her the award her outstanding work and leadership in securing the grant and seeing that her team carried through, said Prado. Marholin said, “This was my sixth year participating. This was a truly wonderful experience.”

Five Piru parents thanked the board for their support at the County and State level in their attempt to stop the proposed conversion of Piru Elementary School to a Charter school. The State committee recently rejected the proposal. Board President Prado said, “The majority of the parents at Piru Elementary opposed the charter. They persevered and won. I would hope that the two sides come together and work to better Piru School.”
The board voted to support Assembly Bill 2370, concerning Schools District of Choice. FUSD Superintendent Jeff Sweeney stated, “The new bill gives clarity and more specifics to allow students to choose to move from one district to another. This new bill will explain how students are accepted, at the same time attempting to balance.”

Todd Schieferle, new Human Resources Director, told the board that their attorney finalized the papers to pull back the Reduction in Force notices that had previously been sent out because Piru Charter School was rejected.
Sheila Duckett, a librarian at San Cayetano School, addressed the board, saying her issue is not the value of a School Resource Officer but whether or not educational dollars should be spent for an SRO or used for educational opportunities such as libraries, computer labs and other direct educational services to students. “Other school districts are having the city pick up the tab,” she added. She said that, over the past five years the school district has paid $100,000 more for the SRO than the city. Annette Fox presented petitions with 181 signatures of parents and staff supporting spending the dollars for educational purposes and not an SRO.

John Wilbur, Principal of Fillmore High School, told the board, “We will never be able to quantify what would have happened without the SRO. It is an invaluable position.” Fillmore Middle School Principal, Tricia Godfrey said, “Our incoming sixth grade parents hear that the school is safer with the SRO. Parents see more value in a detention and a citation when a student makes a bad choice.” A representative from Sierra High School said that students will only come to school if they feel safe and suggested that the district press the city for more money.

Board member Virginia De La Piedra said, “Safety dollars should come from the city. Educational dollars should be spent on education.” Prado added that safety is an integral part of education. “We have to deal with it,” he said. Superintendent Sweeney said, “The safety of the employees and our students is also what the parents want. We're facing tough times. We are making great academic gains at all our schools. Putting more on the administration to deal with difficult investigations will take away from the academic priorities. The city is now in budget deliberations. We have too wait to hear from them concerning more finances.”

The board learned that the district has received a grant of $23,906 for next year from the California Department of Education under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006.

The next Board meeting is May 18. Closed session starts at 5:15 pm and the open session begins at 6:00 pm. Next month the board will meet on June 1. The board announced that graduation will be June 10.