Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
PUSD Board Meeting Highlights for Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Superintendent's Report
The Superintendent clarified comments from the previous board meeting regarding an alleged
gun threat against a middle school student. Superintendent Diaz indicated that staff investigated
the circumstances and confirmed that the incident occurred about a year ago, and resolved the
situation with all parties involved. The weapon referred to was found to be a toy plastic
gun, and was never held to the student's face, as reported by an individual during public
comment. The Superintendent reiterated PUSD staff's commitment to the safety of all students
and thanked the staff who immediately followed up to resolve the situation.
Parcel Tax
Dr. John Pappalardo presented proposed guidelines for a parcel tax to decrease the District's
$20 million budget deficit. Dr. Pappalardo proposed a $120 tax per parcel for 5 years,
and recommended a mail-ballot only election. The recommendations also included a needs-based
exemption for seniors. The suggested purposes and uses of the money include: preserving
quality education and protecting academic programs against state budget cuts; continuing
funding for math, science, technology and arts courses; keeping school libraries open;
attracting and retaining high quality teachers; and purchasing instructional equipment and
supplies.
Parent Engagement
The Board of Education discussed parent engagement goals and strategies to increase parent involvement
and participation. The dialogue included priorities and recommendations from all board members
and observations on the current state of parent engagement in the district.
Tier III Funds
Dr. Meg Abrahamson, Director of Student Support Services, presented an update on the anticipated
impact of Tier III, or specially-funded, program reductions. Dr. Abrahamson provided detail
on the $3.5 million in reductions approved by the Board in various programs such as intervention
programs, arts and music, health and professional development. The reductions will result in
the loss of 17.5 positions and cutting special programs by 50%.
Other Items
All board reports passed.
PUSD board of education meetings are streamed live and on demand at www.BoardMeetings.info.
This has been your PUSD Board Meeting Highlights for Tuesday, January 12, 2010.