Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2011
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

5:30 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
6:30 P.M. – SPECIAL BOARD MEETING

AGENDA
The public may review or request a copy of support materials provided to the Board Members where the word materials appears.
5:30 p.m.
A. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
B. ROLL CALL
C. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS,
PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings.
D. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. to consider matters appropriate for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code Sections 3549.1, 54956.7 through 54957.7 and Education Code Section 35146. If the Board does not complete Closed Session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to Closed Session at the end of the regular meeting. DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION Labor/Negotiations (Government Code 54957.6)
o Update; Direction to District Negotiators (Jeff Sweeney, Mike Bush, Todd Schieferle, Margaret Chidester) for negotiations with the Fillmore Unified Teachers Association (FUTA), the California School Employees Association (CSEA), Confidential Employees, and District Administration.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Superintendent's Office at (805) 524-6038. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the district to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. [In accordance with Government Code 54961 and Board Bylaw 9320(a).]

6:30 P.M.
E. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION Any Action From Closed Session
F. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
G. CLARIFICATION OF AGENDA AND TIME ALLOCATIONS FOR DISCUSSION ITEMS
H. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS AND NONAGENDA ITEMS
This is the time and place to address the school board on any items on the open session agenda. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings.
I. PUBLIC HEARING
Receipt of flexible California State Categorical Program Funding for 2011-2012 fiscal year Sub division ( c )(2) of Education Code Section 42605 requires a school district to hold a public hearing to receive input for the receipt of any or all of the 39 programs listed in the same section. Fillmore Unified School District will receive the following programs as unrestricted revenue in 2011-2012 fiscal year: Cal-Safe, National Board Certification Incentive, Community Based English Tutoring, School Safety Block Grant, Arts and Music Block Grant, CAHSEE Grant, Secondary School Counselors, Gifted and Talented Education, Instructional Materials Block Grant, Peer Assistant and Review, Certificated Staff Mentoring Grant, Administrator Training Program, School and Library Improvement Block Grant, Professional Development Block Grant, Deferred Maintenance, Supplemental Hourly Programs, Math and Reading Training, Pupil Retention Block Grant. The funds will be used to back fill prior year State reductions to revenue limit apportionment.
6:45 P.M.
J. ACTION - CONTINUED »

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2011

1:00 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION – INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT SELECTION PROCESS
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

AGENDA

1:00 p.m.
A. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG

B. ROLL CALL

C. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS,

PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings.

D. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet at 1:00 p.m. to consider matters appropriate for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code Sections 3549.1, 54956.7 through 54957.7 and Education Code Section 35146. If the Board does not complete Closed Session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to Closed Session at the end of the regular meeting. DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957 Regarding Public Employment – Interim Superintendent Recruitment and Selection Process

E. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION Any Action From Closed Session

F. FUTURE MEETINGS
June 28 5:30 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Special Meeting – Board Room

G . BOARD CLOSING COMMENTS AND AGENDA BUILDING

H. ADJOURNMENT

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Superintendent's Office at (805) 524-6038. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the district to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. [In accordance with Government Code 54961 and Board Bylaw 9320(a).]

VCHCA Las Islas Mobile Medical Clinic & Ventura County Public Health Immunization Program have partnered to offer low cost or no cost Tdap vaccine for students entering 7th - 12th grade this year.

WHEN: Thursday, June 30th 4pm-7pm

WHERE: Santa Paula West Clinic 254 West Harvard Blvd, Santa Paula, CA (In the parking lot behind the Clinic and DMV)

. Parent or legal guardian must be present for children under 18 years

. Bring child's insurance card or Medi-Cal card

. Bring all immunization records (yellow immunization card)

For more information about this upcoming "LOW Cost or NO Cost Tdap Vaccine Clinic," please contact the Immunization Program at Ventura County Public Health: 805-981-5211 or Immunization.Program@ventura.org

For more information on the event, go to our facebook: http://on.fb.me/TdapVaccineClinic

THOUSAND OAKS, CA – Thirteen advanced acting students from several colleges are spending the summer building sets, leading camps and performing at the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival at California Lutheran University.

The following students were selected for the 2011 Kingsmen Shakespeare Company Apprentice Program: Elizabeth Arenas from California State University, San Bernardino; Andy Babinski from California State University, Fullerton; Aaron Anthony Bonilla with the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA); Jeremy Hanna from CLU; Seth Kamenow from CLU; Eric Klein from CLU; Casey Kooyman from University of the Pacific and PCPA; Clare Lopez from Saint Martin’s University and PCPA; Garrett Patrick Marshall with PCPA; Caitlyn O’Connor from Whittier College; Annie Sherman from CLU; Molly Stilliens from CLU; and Hannah Mae Sturges from CSUF.

In a new addition this year, the apprentices will present two free staged readings of plays by Shakespeare’s contemporaries. “The Tamer Tamed” by John Fletcher will be performed at 3 p.m. July 16 and 17. The apprentices will present “The Jew of Malta” by Christopher Marlowe at 10 a.m. July 30, 2 p.m. July 31 and 7 p.m. Aug. 1.

The apprentices are also helping high school students in the Rhodes Junior Apprentice Company to stage a public production of “Romeo and Juliet,” which is another first for the festival, on July 30 and 31 and Aug. 6 and 7.

As in years past, the apprentices will understudy the professional actors in the company, play small roles and create and perform pre-show entertainment. They will also teach sessions of the company’s Summer Theatre Camp, build scenery, make costumes and set up and clean up the festival grounds. The apprentices started on June 6 and will continue working long days through Aug. 13.

The professional theater company of CLU is presenting “The Taming of the Shrew” from July 1 through 17 and “The Merchant of Venice” July 22 through Aug. 7. The festival, which is in its 15th season, is one of the area’s most popular theatrical events. For more information, visit http://kingsmenshakespeare.org.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2011
5:30 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
6:30 P.M. - REGULAR MEETING
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

AGENDA
The public may review or request a copy of support materials provided to the Board Members where the word materials appears.
5:30 p.m.
A. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
B. ROLL CALL
C. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings.
D. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. to consider matters appropriate for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code Sections 3549.1, 54956.7 through 54957.7 and Education Code Section 35146. If the Board does not complete Closed Session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to Closed Session at the end of the regular meeting. DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION School District Pupils (Education Code 35146)
o Expulsion Case Number 10-11-14
o Expulsion Case Number 10-11-15 Labor/Negotiations (Government Code 54957.6)
o Update; Direction to District Negotiators (Jeff Sweeney, Mike Bush, Todd Schieferle, Margaret Chidester) for negotiations with the Fillmore Unified Teachers Association (FUTA), the California School Employees Association (CSEA), Confidential Employees, and District Administration. Personnel Matters
o Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release: Government Code 54957 Conference with Legal Counsel - Anticipated Litigation Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to subdivision (b)(3)(A) of Government Code Section 54956.9 (two potential cases)
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Superintendent's Office at (805) 524-6038. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the district to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. [In accordance with Government Code 54961 and Board Bylaw 9320(a).]

6:30 p.m.
E. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION Any Action From Closed Session
F. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
G. CLARIFICATION OF AGENDA AND TIME ALLOCATIONS FOR DISCUSSION ITEMS
H. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS AND NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the school board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings.
I. RETIREE RECOGNITIONS Gabe Asenas
6:45 p.m.
J. STANDING REPORTS 10 minutes Board Members’ Reports 10 minutes Superintendent’s Report
7:05 p.m.
K. ACTION - CONSENT AGENDA (Materials: Corresponding to numbers 1-7)
Items on the Consent Agenda are considered routine and will be enacted by a single motion. None of the items will be discussed unless a Board Member or member of the audience requests discussion.
1. Approve Minutes: Special Board Meeting Held June 7, 2011
2. Approve Personnel Order 10-11-22
3. Ratify Accounts Payable Month of May 2011(ReqPay12a)
4. Ratify Purchase Orders Month of May 2011(ReqPay11a)
5. Ratify 5/01/11through 5/31/11 Certificated and Classified Payroll in the Amount
of $1,707,983.77
6. Donations
7. Contracts
L. ACTION ITEMS
8. Approve Consolidated Application Part I (Materials)
9. Approve Textbooks (Materials) Inside Language Literacy and Contend 4-8, Publisher: National
Geographic/Hampton-Brown
10. Approve Collaboration Day MOU’s (Materials)
11. Approve Interdistrict Transfer Memorandum of Understanding June 2011 (Materials)
12. Approve Board Policy and Administrative Regulation Updates (Materials previously provided) ) BP 1100 Communication With The Public BP 1160 Political Processes BP 2140 Evaluation Of The Superintendent BP 5116.1 Intradistrict Open Enrollment AR 5116.1 Intradistrict Open Enrollment BB 9123 Clerk BB 9140 Board Representatives BB 9323 Actions By The Board
7:35 p.m.
M. INFORMATION/DISCUSSION
13. 10 minutes Alternative Governance Board: Fillmore Middle School (Materials)
14. 20 minutes Budget Update
8:05 p.m.
N. FUTURE MEETINGS
June 27 1:00 p.m. Special Meeting – Board Room
June 28 5:30 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Special Meeting – Board Room
O. BOARD CLOSING COMMENTS AND AGENDA BUILDING
8:25 p.m.
P. ADJOURNMENT

All students who registered for summer and/or fall class had an email sent to their MYVCCCD student portal informing them that they would be dropped from classes if they did not pay their registration fees. Students were informed of the opportunity to create a payment plan ($15 fee) and/or reminded of the financial aid process, etc.

It has been reported that approximately 1,200 students have been dropped. They can re-register and will be given a seven day grace period effective at the time of registration.

Beginning August 1st all fees will be due at time of registration.

VC Promise students were told to submit their application IMMEDIATELY as the deadline date has been changed numerous times. The deadline is now July 21, 2011.

The Ventura County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) is proud to announce special education staff members who, in June 2011, completed all requirements for the Autism Certification Program and are recognized as experts.

The candidates receiving certificates are: Las Virgenes Unified School District, Instructional Specialist, Jimalee Lunstrum; Ventura County Office of Education, Paraeducator, Alissa Bautista; and Ventura Unified School District, School Psychologist, Trish Malotte.

In order to achieve this certification, candidates participate in a variety of professional development events gaining skills and expertise for working with children with autism.

For more information on SELPA’s Autism Certification Program go to our website at: www.venturacountyselpa.com and click the “Autism” button; or call the SELPA office at (805) 437-1560.

The 2010-2011 Ventura County Grand Jury is pleased to announce the public release of a report entitled:

School Bus Safety

SUMMARY
Following a fatal school bus accident in Missouri, the 2010-2011 Ventura County Grand Jury (Grand Jury) began an investigation into school bus safety within Ventura County (County). The Grand Jury also considered the issue of seat belts on school buses.

School bus safety is a serious issue. A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that, during the eleven-year period from 1998 through 2008, an average of 19 school-age children died in school transportation-related traffic crashes each year. The majority of people killed in school transportation-related crashes are not school-age bus riders, but are occupants of other vehicles involved or pedestrians.

The Grand Jury reviewed school bus-related information provided by all 21 school districts (Districts) within the County, including the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). The information provided to the Grand Jury by the Districts appears to indicate that school bus travel in the County is safe. The Grand Jury estimated that the number of daily student bus riders in the County for the 2009-2010 school year was 16,167. The Grand Jury found that there were a total of 41 school bus-related accidents in that school year, resulting in four injuries to student bus riders. However, the Grand Jury found that there is a lack of comparable, consistent data between Districts which makes objective measure of school bus safety difficult. The Grand Jury searched the websites of all 21 Districts and a representative sample of individual school websites and was unable to find school bus safety statistics. The Grand Jury was unable to identify any agency with the responsibility for collecting and reporting County school bus safety information at the County level.

The Grand Jury recommends that the VCOE assumes responsibility for the collection and reporting of school bus safety information within the County and develop a standard form for the collection of such information from the Districts. The Grand Jury recommends that the Districts use this standard form to collect school bus safety information, report this information to the VCOE, and post it on District websites. The Grand Jury recommends that the VCOE reports District school bus safety information on its website for the County as a whole.

After a study of the issues surrounding seat belts on school buses, the Grand Jury found that it is unclear whether seat belts on school buses significantly increase school bus safety.

Go to the Grand Jury website to review the entire report http://grandjury.countyofventura.org

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA. - Students enrolled in CSU Channel Islands’ (CI) Master of Science in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics with an emphasis in Stem Cell Technology and Laboratory Management Program have had two very successful years.

The program requires a one-year internship during which students work full-time in a research institution or a company doing advanced, real-time research on existing stem cell science projects. The internship program is overseen by Dr. Chunnian Zhao, an instructor for the MS program. A grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) funds the year-long internships for up to 10 students in the program each year at $35,750 for each student.

The first cohort of students from CI’s MS program graduated in September of 2010. All had job offers. Some of the companies or institutions they have joined since graduation include Dr. Jeanne Loring’s lab at the Scripps Research Institute, Dendreon Corporation, Celavie Biosciences, Stem Cell Core Facility at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Dr. Joseph Gleeson Lab at UCSD , PDS Technical Services, Inc., UCSB Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering, City of Hope, and Amgen. Some of the students have already published papers in the nation’s most prestigious journals. More manuscripts are being prepared for publication.

The second cohort of students will graduate in September of 2011 and are currently working as student interns at Scripps Research Institute, UCSB, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, University of Southern California, and City of Hope. These students are involved in cutting-edge stem cell research at a very advanced level.

Michael Winkler, a student from the second cohort, is working at the City of Hope, under the guidance of Dr. Teresa Ku, a preeminent diabetes researcher. Winkler sought this opportunity because his father has diabetes and he has chosen research in diabetes and endocrinology as his field. “I am able to work at something that helps my family personally and in my field of interest, with a doctor who is tops in her field.”

Chase Gabrelow is doing his internship at Scripps Research Institute and describes his research as, turning skin cells into brain cells.” The goal of this research is to help a patient with a neurodegenerative disorder, such as Alzheimer’s, by providing better and more specific treatment options. Upon completion of the program, Chase hopes to return to CI to earn his MBA, thus widening his career options.

“This internship program has provided wonderful opportunities for our students to engage in front-line research in an exciting and rapidly advancing field and our students have benefited greatly from the program” said Dr. Ching-Hua Wang, the Director for the MS program.

For additional information about these programs visit: http://www.csuci.edu/exed/msbiotech.htm.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA. - For the second year in a row, CSU Channel Islands (CI) has been named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

The Honor Roll’s Presidential Award is the highest federal recognition an institution can receive for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. It recognizes institutions of higher education that support exemplary community service programs and raises the visibility of best practices in university-community partnerships.

“I’m delighted that the innovative work of our faculty and staff in creating opportunities that change the lives of our students is being recognized through this Honor Roll. It is further evidence of the tremendous value that CI brings to the local community,” stated Dawn Neuman, CI’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

This year a total of 851 institutions applied for the 2010 Honor Roll, a 9% increase over last year, an indication of growing commitment by colleges and universities to engage students in making a difference in their communities. Of that total number, 511 institutions of higher learning were named to the Honor Roll.

The Corporation for National and Community Service oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Educations. Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school’s commitment to long-term campus/community partnerships and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service.

CI tallied service hours from Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, giving a total number of 16,258 community service hours completed by CI’s students.

CI’s commitment to service learning has been, since its inception, one of the primary focal points of its educational philosophy, enriching students, faculty and the community they serve.

By recognizing institutions for their service commitment, the Honor Roll aims to expand the impact of service in tackling community needs, putting more students on a lifelong path of service and civic engagement to improve their communities and their country.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research.

Camarillo, CA. - CSU Channel Islands (CI) announced the Henry L. “Hank” Lacayo Institute for Workforce & Community Studies (HLI) had recently received a grant for $60,000 from the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas).

The HLI is named for workforce and community leader Henry L. “Hank” Lacayo, who has served as an advisor to United States presidents and governors and is held in high esteem throughout the nation and abroad.

Dawn Neuman, CI’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, called the SoCalGas gift “foundation building” for the HLI Interns Program. The HLI Interns Program is designed to support community outreach, workforce training, and leadership development.

SoCalGas engages in philanthropic giving which focuses on supporting and engaging communities in its service areas. The company strives to work with community partners to support programs that help meet community needs in areas of environment, education, emergency preparedness and economic development.

“We are very pleased to support the important work of the Henry L. “Hank” Lacayo Institute for Workforce & Community Studies,” said Anne Shen Smith, Chief Operating Officer for Southern California Gas Company. “We also congratulate Hank for being recognized for his lifetime achievement and look forward to the Institute making a positive impact on the region.”

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research.

Southern California Gas Co. has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas to its customers for more than 140 years. It is the nation’s largest natural gas distribution utility, providing service to 20.9 million consumers through nearly 5.8 million meters in more than 500 communities. The company’s service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles throughout Central and Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border. SoCalGas is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE). Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2010 revenues of $9 billion. The Sempra Energy companies’ nearly 16,000 employees serve about 26 million consumers worldwide.

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Last Thursday, May 26th, Sespe GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) students performed an original musical, The King’s Fool, inspired by Shakespeare’s play King Lear. This is the seventh Sespe GATE production written by fourth grade Sespe teacher Greg Spaulding and co-directed with third grade teacher Lisa Gosselin.

In the Sespe GATE production, Shakespeare’s grim tragedy is transformed into delightful musical comedy. Yorick, the king’s jester, is old and tired. He longs to retire and sit on a beach sipping orange Fanta. But who will make the king laugh?

King Lear is also old and tired. He also wants to retire. But who will run the kingdom? When he suddenly and rashly decides to give up power, a chain of unintended (and hilarious) events is put in motion.

The talented young cast sang danced and charmed their way across the stage, to the delight of the enthusiastic audience.

The Cast: Abraham Garza Attendant, Alberto Ceja Edmund, Andrew Rodriguez Soldier, Arianna Magaña Robin, Blake Palacio King Lear, Chloe Gambill Cordelia, Damian Meza Attendant, Dyanysis Dunn Attendant, Edgar Gonzalez Soldier, Eric Hurtado Oswald, Fernie Gonzalez Yorick, Grace Garnica Goneril, Gregory Kraft Soldier, Ian Morris Hamlet, Joanna Ponce Colombina, Juan Orozco Soldier, Laura Avila Regan, Marcos Pino Arlecchino, Summer Hurtado Servant.

CAMARILLO, CA. - The Ventura County Community Foundation will award more than $820,000 in scholarships to local students at the 2011 Scholarship Awards Reception on June 2.

This year, the Community Foundation will give more than 290 scholarships to 265 students who will attend such universities as Stanford, UCLA, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Notre Dame, Brown, California Lutheran, Pepperdine and Cal State Channel Islands.

“These scholarships are made possible by the generosity of people who believe in investing in the future of Ventura County,” said Hugh Ralston, president and CEO of the Community Foundation.

“Most scholarships were established as permanent endowments at VCCF by donors who want to keep a loved one’s memory alive by making college a reality for a motivated young person,” Ralston said. “Thanks to our success in investing these funds for the long term, we are able to sustain these legacies through annual gifts to local students to help them follow their dreams.”

This year’s awards include two new memorial scholarships. The Stephen Devron Resnik Memorial Scholarship honors the late owner of the Somis Nut House. Since Resnik was an avid volleyball player, his family wanted to give first priority to a student-athlete participating in that sport.

Graduating language majors had the opportunity to apply for the inaugural Ronald Mack Adams Memorial Scholarship, established in the memory of the Oxnard School District teacher. Adams’ love of languages was sparked at Oxnard High in the late 1950s when he became that school’s first exchange student to Germany.
Students from throughout Ventura County had from November of last year until mid-January to apply for VCCF scholarships. Thanks to a new financial-aid screening tool on vccf.org, students could determine more reliably which awards they qualified for based on financial need.

The average college student graduating this year will have $27,000 in debt from education loans, according to a recent report on National Public Radio, Ralston noted.

“By awarding scholarships to qualified students, we hope to spare them some of the burden of taking on excessive student loan debt,” Ralston said, “and ensure they can get the education they hope for.”

Carlos Espinoza, a junior psychology major at the University of California, Davis, and recipient of a total of $27,000 over two years from VCCF scholarship funders, echoes Ralston’s words.

“I cannot thank them enough for investing in me, my education and in my dream of helping people, people like me who have dreams and are willing to go against the odds to obtain them,” said Espinoza, of Oxnard.

Since its founding in 1987, the Ventura County Community Foundation has awarded more than $7 million in scholarships and is the local leader in granting financial aid to Ventura County youth.

The scope of this annual undertaking would not be possible without dozens of unsung volunteers who have worked behind the scenes since the January application deadline, Ralston noted. A team of 16 processed the more than 2,600 applications, 19 screened the applications to make sure they complied with the guidelines set by donors. A committee of 29 volunteers reviewed and rated the almost 1,200 eligible applications, and made recommendations which were approved by the VCCF Board of Directors in early May.

VCCF is a family of charitable funds with combined assets of $108 million. Its mission is to promote and enable philanthropy to improve our community for good for ever, which it does through grantmaking, scholarships and leadership training programs through the Center for Nonprofit Leadership. VCCF has been certified in compliance with national standards by the Council on Foundations, the highest form of peer review in the United States. For more information, visit vccf.org or contact VCCF at (805) 988-0196.

Fillmore- Mayra V. Amezcua, Orfalea Scholarship ($2,500), Susana Amezcua, Orfalea Scholarship ($2,500), Esmeralda N. Carrillo, Saticoy Lemon Association Employee Scholarship ($650), Corey R. Cole, Indian Education Scholarship ($300), Mariela Contreras, VCCF Scholarship ($600), Linnea C. Fechtner, William & Cynthia Fairburn Memorial Scholarship ($2,000), Diana J. Gumber, William & Cynthia Fairburn Memorial Scholarship ($2,000), Chloe N. Keller, William & Cynthia Fairburn Memorial Scholarship ($2,000), Joseph M. Liu, Orfalea Scholarship ($2,500), Arturo Luna, Adelante Scholarship ($1,000), Miguel A. Mendez, Gould Family Scholarship ($500) and Orfalea Scholarship ($2,500), Joel Orozco, Finch Family Scholarship ($4,000), Grace A. Simon, Orfalea Scholarship ($2,500), Karissa M. Tarango, Orfalea Scholarship ($2,500), Iris P. Villalobos, Orfalea Scholarship ($2,500), Juan R. Villalobos, Orfalea Scholarship ($2,500), Hayward Stephanie Murray, TEACh Scholarship ($2,300). Piru - Isis M. Topete, Stanley E. Cohen Memorial Scholarship ($600).

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that California will receive $69 million to turn around its persistently lowest achieving schools through the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program. The funds are part of $546 million available to states for the School Improvement Grant program in fiscal year 2010. In fiscal year 2009, states received a total of $3.5 billion for the School Improvement Grant program.

"When a school continues to perform in the bottom five percent of the state and isn't showing signs of progress or has graduation rates below 60 percent over a number of years, something dramatic needs to be done," said Duncan. "Turning around our worst performing schools is difficult for everyone but it is critical that we show the courage to do the right thing by kids."

The $69 million made available to California is being distributed by formula to the state and will then be competed out by the state to school districts. School districts will apply to the state for the funds this spring. When a school district applies, it must indicate that it will implement one of four school intervention models in each of its persistently lowest-achieving schools for which it receives SIG funds, based on school needs:

• TURNAROUND MODEL: Replace the principal, screen existing school staff, and rehire no more than half the teachers; adopt a new governance structure; and improve the school through curriculum reform, professional development, extending learning time, and other strategies.

• RESTART MODEL: Convert a school or close it and re-open it as a charter school or under an education management organization.

• SCHOOL CLOSURE: Close the school and send the students to higher-achieving schools in the district.

• TRANSFORMATION MODEL: Replace the principal and improve the school through comprehensive curriculum reform, professional development, extending learning time, and other strategies.