A committee that oversees how bond money is spent in Oak Park Unified School District recently expressed concerns that the board of education has added several new improvements that weren’t originally planned. The district approved four new projects that will cost a total of $20,000, including concrete step repairs at Oak Hills Elementary School and repairs in the serving kitchen and locker rooms at Medea Creek Middle School.
Funds are provided through Measure R, a bond passed by Oak Park voters in 2008 that is providing the district with $29.4 million for campus improvements.
“The board is not taking into consideration every time a new expenditure came about, and we would like them to take more awareness of this issue,” said Mike Green, bond subcommittee chair.
In other budget matters, assistant superintendent Martin Klauss informed the board that the district will receive almost $87,000 due to an overestimate in cost for window and door replacements at Brookside Elementary School.
Klauss also presented a version of the annual budget for fiscal year 2012-13, but its adoption was postponed until July 12 when the board will meet to vote on policy amendments.
Some parts of the district’s budget depend upon the passage of the governor’s proposed tax initiative that would cut funds from state services and send them to the public schools.
“On some of these decisions (regarding the budget), we want to wait until the November election,” said superintendent Tony Knight. “For example, furlough days would be a non-issue if the initiative passes.”
Saving the jobs of three to four counselors at Oak Park High School will be a district priority if the initiative is approved, Knight said.
“ We don’t make it public knowledge how the counselors spend their time, but I personally know that every time there’s a suicide intervention or another issue on campus, if we didn’t have them there I don’t know what we would do,” Knight said. “The administrators are not able to deal with it the same way the counselors are with their level of training.”
New technology such as CD-ROM-based mathematics programs that will replace textbooks will be paid for by a state instructional materials fund.
The district was one of three in the state honored with a $5,000 Achievement in Respiratory Health Award presented by associate director Deanna Rossi for the California Department of Public Health’s asthma program, California Breathing.
“I just think this district is a model for the rest of California, and we really hope to shine a light on you more and help spread the good word throughout California,” Rossi said.
Leave a Reply