Calabasas establishes an education commission

Acorn Staff Writer


A Calabasas ordinance establishing an education commission, the city’s ninth, was formally approved last week by city councilmembers.


The commission is intended to act as a liaison between the city and Las Virgenes Unified School District and the board of education.


City Councilman Michael Harrison, who co-wrote the ordinance with Councilman James Bozajian and the city staff, said the commission would provide "a regular means of communication" between the city and school board to "foster joint activities."


Relations between the city, particularly the public and the school board have often been strained and even hostile in the past, according to Harrison. Two joint, public meetings of the school board and city council resulted in speakers from the audience venting their frustrations with the board of education.


According to Bozajian, it wasn’t practical or feasible to continue joint meetings of the council and school board, but as a result, public sentiment drifted toward a conclusion that city councilmembers didn’t care about public schools.


The commission’s stated purpose is to act in an "advisory capacity" to the city council in matters concerning education. It will study current educational programs, procedures and policies, and recommend future ones, as well as "provide technical and professional advice" to councilmembers.


"I don’t expect the commission to be a sounding board for complaints or a means of attacking the school board," said Bozajian. He postulated that a positive environment would evolve by presence of the commission, a view that was shared by the rest of the council.


Harrison hopes the commission will also cultivate an "intercultural exchange" through sister city and foreign student exchange programs, and coordinate after-school playground use.


The commission will be comprised of five members, each nominated by a different councilmember, with the commissioners being "selected for their special familiarity with community educational needs or programs." They’ll meet regularly at least once a month and the meetings will be open to the public.


They’ll receive no compensation for their services, but they may be reimbursed for costs "incurred in connection with the performance of their duties" and additional part-time professional staff will be hired to assist them.


"We have a lot of eager volunteers," said Bozajian. "I’ve already had four people express interest in serving on the commission."


Though the district school board is not legally bound to communicate with or acknowledge the education commission, Harrison said, "This will be analogous to the Community Policing Commission’s relationship with the sheriff’s department." Bozajian likewise believes that the work that went into fashioning the commission will result in a "positive and cooperative" atmosphere and that the commission and school board will work hand-in-hand to improve the quality of education in Calabasas.


No representative of the school district was available to comment on the new commission at press time.





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