Pictured (l-r) District Manager for Wells Fargo Bank Ernie Pineda, San Cayetano Principal Jan Marholin, and Branch Manager Eric Irie. Pineda and Irie were honored by the School Board for being part of the “Be The Change” program.

The open session of the Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board meeting was held November 18, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room at the District Office. The Board presented "Be the Change" awards and Migrant Education awards. The Board decided to stand by its earlier decision to raise Public Use of Facilities fees.

Superintendent Jeff Sweeney reported that Fillmore High School (FHS) was well prepared for the WASC accreditation exit interview. He said that the FHS staff deserves to be proud of how it handled the accreditation process, and the District is waiting to hear from WASC how many years of accreditation have been awarded.

The Board and Tricia Gardias, Migrant Education Coordinator, presented Recognitions of Achievement for the Migrant Education Program. The Board Meeting Agenda listed the qualifications for each award, and Gardias described each person's accomplishments. Laura Quintana is Migrant Parent of the Year. That award goes to "parents who become involved in their children's education, strive to further their education and get involved in school and community". Quintana has served two years on the Migrant Advisory Council, attends English Learner Advisory Committee meetings, and has three children (an Eighth Grader, a Sixth Grader, and a toddler). Mayra Regalado is Migrant Student of the Year. That award goes to students who "exhibit exceptional leadership", maintain a GPA of at least 3.5, and "plan to continue their education and involvement in their school and community". She has a 4.33 GPA, is taking three Advanced Placement classes (Calculus, Physics, and Spanish), teaches Catechism at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, and hopes to attend UC Davis or San Diego State University. She also plays soccer at FHS, and had to leave for practice after receiving the award. Homero Magaña is Migrant Alumnus of the Year. That award goes to "those students who become professionals, exhibit exceptional leadership, get involved in school/community activities and always strive to further their accomplishments". Magaña graduated from Moorpark College with Honors, earned a degree from UC Berkeley, has participated in State and National Conferences, and is a Counselor at Moorpark High School.

Garrett Reilley reported that the FHS Boosters and Associated Student Body are attempting to subsidize a bus rental so that students can afford to travel to 29 Palms to cheer the FHS football team as it plays in the semi-finals this Saturday.

San Cayetano Elementary School Principal Jan Marholin introduced Ernie Pineda, District Manger for Wells Fargo Bank, and Eric Irie, Branch Manger for Wells Fargo Bank. The Board honored Pineda and Irie as part of the "Be the Change" program. Marholin thanked Pineda and Irie for their help with the grant used for the fall harvest festival at San Cayetano. Marjolin reported that, due to extra publicity from newspaper articles and flyers, teachers at all four elementary schools received $85 each for classroom use.

The Board accepted a grant from the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District for the purchase of three new low emission school buses.

The Board approved the Interim Budget Report as reported. The Board usually receives a 45-day revise and two Interim Budget Reports during the school year. According to the Report, from Budget Adoption to First Interim, revenue increased $518,087 and expenditures increased $1,164,540. Enrollment was lower than projected, which caused a decrease in anticipated revenue. The report notes, "Since adoption, the District has updated salaries and benefits to reflect new hires and current statutory benefits." The updated budget reflects the latest State budget, recently acquired grants and entitlements, recent donations, and carry-over from the previous year. Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush said that $200,000 of one-time revenues has been spent. Bush said the total budget is approximately $32 million.

The Board discussed the new Facilities Use Fee Schedule that was established two months ago. There were concerns that some community programs, such as Relay For Life and the Neil Schmitt Family Resource Center, might not be able to afford the higher rates. Janice Schieferle was present and informed the board that Relay For Life had already decided to move their event to Shiells Park, and meeting rooms could be found elsewhere if necessary. Board Member John Garnica pointed out that although Relay For Life and the Schmitt Center are worthy of support, FUSD's primary mission is to educate students. He said that it made more sense for the City to host community events and services. Board Member Tony Prado expressed concern over Little League. He does not want to discourage participation in community sports, especially if less participation by those in lower income brackets would increase participation in gangs. Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush explained that the fee increases were long overdue: FUSD's water bill is "through the roof", staff costs have increased, and the fee's percentage of increase is much less than the water rate's percentage of increase. Board Member Virginia De La Piedra noted that FUSD cannot afford to spend money on extras, and FUSD is still charging less than other districts. Board Member Liz Wilde pointed out that Board Policy should be fair to all. The Board decided not to grant any exceptions to the rates. Sweeney mentioned that the City and the District are currently re-negotiating a Joint Use Agreement, which will allow the City and District to use each other's facilities at little or no cost. The Board agreed that if the City chooses to sponsor certain programs, then the programs could be embedded into the Joint Use Agreement. The District will discuss the problem with the City.

The Board set the Annual Organizational Meeting for December 16, 2008 at 6 p.m. California Education Code Section 35143 states, "At the annual meeting each city board of education shall organize by electing a president from its members."

Mike Bush provided an update on the State budget. According to Bush, because the State legislature did not make budget cuts, the State could run out of cash in February 2009. He said this could result in FUSD not having enough cash to make payroll in March.

Facilities Director Bob Sube mentioned that construction of additional fencing at Mountain Vista is expected to start on Friday, December 5th; the fence will be finished before January 5th.