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Wm. S. Hart Union High School District What's Good &
School Board Roundup
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Breaking News Bottom Line
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Organization: Wm. S. Hart Union High School District
Date: December 11, 2008
Hart School Board Round-up
Governing Board Meeting December 10, 2008
Early, Middle College High Schools to Merge The Hart District's Early College High School and Academy of the Canyons middle college high school will merge next fall to create a four-year program in the soon-to-be-completed University Center on the Valencia campus of College of the Canyons. The program will be capped at 400 students and will concentrate on recruitment of a new ninth grade class, plus upper class students to fill available slots. The agreement will allow the Hart District to receive the final $225,000 in its early college high school grant by focusing on programs to break down barriers that prevent students from attending college. Both programs allow students to earn college credits while working toward their high school diplomas. The Board offered kudos to Erum Jones, the founding principal of Early College High School, and to Assistant Superintendent Vicki Engbrecht for her efforts to facilitate the merge while remaining true to the principals of both schools.
Board Committee to Evaluate Boundaries The Governing Board's Growth Committee will review the district's current school boundaries, patterns of growth, and enrollment projections for both the short and long terms. The Board made the decision in lieu of forming a community boundary committee, since minor boundary adjustments may be sufficient to serve the district until imminent construction of a high school in the Castaic area requires more extensive boundary adjustments in the future. Once the Growth Committee makes its recommendations, public forums will be arranged to seek widespread staff, parent and community input before any boundary changes are adopted. Using the growth Committee is expected to speed the process of boundary changes, since all of the information that would be presented to a community committee already is available to the Board.
Portables to Ease West Ranch Overcrowding Noting that West Ranch High School faces overcrowding as early as fall 2009, the Board authorized the Facilities Department to install seven portable classrooms and a portable rest room facility to handle additional students for the next several years. The cost will be $750,000 for the first year, including installation and lease payment and removal costs at completion of the lease. After the first year, the lease cost is $47,700 per year. The leases can be terminated at any time the need no longer exists.
Developer Fees Dwindling An annual report on developer fees collected by the Hart District shows the effect of the slowing construction market in the Santa Clarita Valley, declining from $14.8 million in July 2007 to an ending balance of $5.8 million as of June 30, 2008. The report includes $1.7 million in fees collected during the year, plus interest and other revenue, offset by expenditures of $11.1 million for growth-related expenses. Much of the fund was used to cover portable lease costs, debt service for growth-related projects, and construction at Saugus, Canyon, Golden Valley and West Ranch high schools. The report indicates that the District will utilize developer fees, along with other funding sources, to cover already-budgeted leased portables for Hart High and Placerita and Sierra Vista junior high schools.
District Maintains Positive Financial Status Utilizing assumptions approved by the California State Department of Education, the Hart District has been able to certify that it will remain fiscally solvent for the next three years. The future year projections rely on some measures that have not yet been negotiated with the District's employee unions and do not take into account any more funding cutbacks that may come as the state wrestles with its own budget. The projections were approved by the Governing Board in the required First Interim Report, and a more realistic picture of the District's financial situation can be expected when the Second Interim Report is filed in March.
Board Elects New Officers The Governing Board used its organization meeting to elect the following new officers for 2009: Steve Sturgeon, president; Dennis King, clerk; Paul Strickland, assistant clerk. The Board thanked outgoing President Gloria Mercado-Fortine for her energy, commitment, and service to the District in the past year. The Board also selected the following committee members: Steve Sturgeon, SCV Facilities Foundation; Steve Sturgeon and Gloria Mercado-Fortine, Growth Committee; Dennis King and Steve Sturgeon, Audit and Finance Committee; Paul Strickland and Pat Hanrion, Board Policy Review Committee; and various other committees on a local, county and regional level.
Theater, Gym Projects Advance The performing arts centers and acoustical modification of gymnasiums at West Ranch and Golden Valley high schools moved a step closer to completion with two Governing Board actions. The Board approved a revised project budget of $5 million for the two auditorium build-out projects, reflecting $300,000 in cuts that were made after original bids came in well over budget. The Board approved the new budget and authorized the district to re-bid the projects. The Board also approved consulting fees for acoustical treatment for the gymnasiums at the two schools.
Additional Architectural Services Approved Architects for Hart High School's modernization project have been authorized to design modifications to the project, which remain within the original budget. Projects include addition of a video lab and technology infrastructure, an energy management system, video monitoring of the construction site, hardscape and landscape projects, data lines for the school gymnasiums, asbestos abatement,and addition of Building E to Phase 1 modernization. A favorable bid climate has made funds available for the additional projects.
Mitigation Fees Delayed The Governing Board has approved an amendment to the mitigation agreement between the District and Synergy-Brookfield, LLC, which will provide $2 million in funding for performing arts centers at Saugus and Canyon high schools. The revised agreement would delay funding of the first $1 million until December 2009 and the second payment until December 2010. The company is not expected to start marketing its new homes until late 2009, and the delayed payments are not expected to affect the timeline for construction of the two facilities.
Teachers Present Bargaining Proposal The District "sunshined" the collective bargaining proposal from the Hart District Teachers Association, a step required before actual negotiations can begin. The proposal contains four elements: 1) stricter enforcement of class size maximums, 2) extension of personal necessity leave for adoptive parents, 3) contractual oversight of stipends for extra duties, and 4) the potential to re-open salary issues based on state budget revisions to be released in January. Board presentation opens a 30-day period for public comments on the proposals.
Board Recognizes Hero, Bond Committee During a pre-meeting recognition program, the Governing Board recognized members of the steering committee which supported passage of the District's Measure SA construction bond and volunteers who helped pass the bond. Special recognition went to Executive Committee members Linda Valdes, Sabrina Utter, Suzan Solomon, John Costanza, John Zaring and Hunt Braly. The Board also recognized West Ranch Campus Supervisor Joshua Hammock for his quick action which saved a student who was choking.
Awards in the Spotlight President Gloria Mercado-Fortine displayed a plaque presented to the Hart District by the SCV Boys & Girls Club. The Samuel Dixon Award honors an organization which has contributed significant time and effort to the Boys & Girls Club. The Board also acknowledged marching bands from West Ranch and Hart high schools for winning state championships in their divisions from the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association. This is the second championship for West Ranch in Division 3A and an unprecedented seventh consecutive championship for Hart High in the highly competitive Division 4A.
