Blog Entries - Julie's Board Blog

What three words can I use to describe the Oct. 27 SDUSD Board Meeting? Short and sweet. I will try to keep this blog the same!

The meeting started on time at 5:00 and was over by 6:30.

The biggest takeaway was the passage of a hiring/spending freeze. Each Board Member stated how important it is to come in at budget or under budget because next school year is going to be a more difficult budget process than this year. The State does not have the income so they will not be spending any additional monies. VP Barrera made the observation that this year, the SDUSD is only spending $4,000 per student (132,000 enrollment this year) which is well below the past spending of only $6,500 per student. The Unions, as expected, objected to the hiring freeze. There really is no other choice at this time. The Board stressed that each and every position must be scrutinized and they will only spend on essential position and expenses. The District will be having special meetings and town halls throughout November and December specifically to discuss 2010/11 budget, so keep your eyes and ears open and participate as much as possible. Our voices need to be heard.

For those with students in high school, the Board will hold a special meeting on November 9, 4:00 pm, to discuss the changes at SDSU admissions. SDSU has changed its admission policy for local San Diego students for this coming application year.

Finally, parents, please make sure your children are washing their hands with soap and water. It's the best practice to avoid spreading and/or contracting the H1N1 virus. Member Nakamura reminded the schools and parents to check the school bathrooms to make sure the soap and paper towel dispensers are well stocked!

Like I said, short and sweet.

Next Board Meeting: November 10.

-Julie Moore