Fillmore Unified School District

On Thursday, May 5, 2011 Fillmore Unified School District Superintendent Jeff Sweeney sent an email to all staff members announcing his retirement. He explained that he had presented the School Board with a letter on Tuesday, May 3. His letter simply stated “I wanted to thank you for the last five years of serving the Fillmore Unified School District. It has been a distinct pleasure working with you, the staff, the students, and the community. I wanted to let you know that I plan on retiring effective June 30, 2011. I will carry with me lifelong memories of working with all of you.”

School Board Member Lucy Rangel commented, “I was surprised with Jeff's retirement. I had heard from colleagues that either last year or the year before he had mentioned that he planned to retire in a few years. I had thought that he might wait another year or two.” When asked about what process the Board will use to find a new superintendent, she indicated that the Board will be notifying the press and added, “It is my opinion, however, that the process include community members since it is their school district.” By press deadline Sweeney did not respond to requests for an interview.

Sweeney’s retirement comes amid calls for accountability at Piru Elementary School regarding an apparent failure by the Principal to utilize all funds available to the school for tutoring and interventions with students who are below grade level.

In an online (www.greatschools.org) statement made on April 13, 2011 a person claiming to be “a parent of a kindergartener at Piru School” stated “I am very concerned about the administration here…the principal did not even read the school budget so our kids lost out on around 70 thousand dollars…Things like this should never happen our kids deserve a proper education and that includes educated and qualified administration.”
Sweeney explained, “At a recent School Site Council (SSC) meeting the Council was reviewing its budget and determined there was approximately $70,000 in categorical fund that was still available for this year [and allocated for various uses including tutorial interventions].” These funds were “use it or lose it” and according to staff members the school has been rushing to spend the money this year. Sweeney reported, “Teachers at the school were conferred and made recommendations to purchase instructional materials that will augment the instructional program for years to come.” Items purchased include “computers, supplemental workbooks and instructional materials.”

The District has confirmed that a parent of a student at Piru has filed a uniform complaint regarding the matter and the District is investigating. When asked for a response the Principal stated, “My outstanding error as a new principal… was taking my eye off the school plan. If I had done things correctly in this arena…I would have caught that … School Site Council designated $36,000 in funds to after school interventions.” She went on to explain that after discovering this error and taking it to staff it was determined that a “between the bells” intervention program was in fact preferred. Teh Principal pointed out that this means “our overall program now has a huge, unexpected boost in the arm next year.”

As their technology meets are now met, and categorical monies can be focused where it’s needed on intervention. Parents and staff have commented that is all well and good but wonder about the effect this mistake had on students this year.

A FUSD School Board Member responded to a request for comment by stating, “Superintendent Sweeney is resolving the issue to minimize the impact to students and ensuring that the principal, fully understands the SSC budget process and her obligations regarding Categorical Funds (meaning funds which must be spent in a particular way), as well as ensuring that she communicates effectively to the parents and staff about the School Site Council budget process.”

When asked how oversights like this will be avoided in the future Sweeney commented, “The District will provide additional training next year for Piru’s School Site Council. This will include processes to ensure the Council is provided budgets at all meetings to ensure greater transparency. In addition, the Council will be encouraged to adopt bylaws that will help guide the group in all matters.”

Piru Elementary School is in Program Improvement, meaning for several years it has failed to meet State benchmarks in the number of students which test at grade level on State assessment tests in Math and Language Arts. School Plans are part of the State mandated processes for “PI” schools and School Site Councils are responsible for creating the annual plan, overseeing its implementation and ensuring that expenditures meet the goals of the plan. School Site Councils are made up of parents, staff members and may have community members as well. The principal has a spot on the Council with staff members being elected by the staff and parent and community members being elected by parents.