MPC's Walter Tribley to talk about community college challenges

Monterey Peninsula College President Walt Tribley will talk about the community college mission and the significant changes that are changing the way colleges operate.

In the last decade, higher education has faced severe funding cuts and the implementation of very prescriptive policies controlling how higher education (colleges and students) will be funded. From limits on the amount of federal financial aid a student receives to the so-called national completion agenda, this presentation will highlight the challenges and opportunities for community colleges and the students and communities they serve.

This is around the time college administrators also present their budgets, so chances are Tribley will also address the college financials. It should be a presentation worth attending.

The presentation will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Jan 21., at the Lecture Forum #103 of the main campus, 980 Fremont St., Monterey.

The School Success Express Tour's coming to Salinas

California schools are undergoing tremendous changes.

Not only are they in the midst of implementing new learning goals, they will also have more money to do it in the upcoming years.

The money will be particularly important to schools that serve students whose first language is Spanish -- also called English learners -- and students in low income families.

In an effort to get input from the public, the California Endowment is bringing a bus across the state called the School Success Express Tour,a tour of 12 cities where parents and students are invited to help shape implementation of the Fair School Funding law.

The forum will take place at Los Padres Elementary School, 1130 John Street in Salinas. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the forum will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Fair School Funding is expected to increase money per student in most low-income schools. At Alisal Union, for example, there will be an almost 87 percent increase in funding over the next seven years. Other low-income districts are projected to receive a similar increase.

Financial relief coming South Monterey County High School District's way

Governor Jerry Brown has signed a budget trailer bill to reduce the interest rate on South Monterey County High School district emergency loan. The bill includes language that will allow it to repay its debt to the state in a shorter amount of time that originally designed. School districts in Oakland, Vallejo and Contra Costa County have already benefitted from refinancing their emergency state loans.

The school district received a $13 million emergency loan in 2009 as it was projected to be fiscally insolvent. By law, the school district was forced to finance with the state-run California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (I-Bank). At the time, the interest rate for I-Bank was at 5.44 percent. In California, only three other school districts have emergency loans and their interest rates are below 2 percent.

"This is a huge victory for the students of South Monterey County," said Sen. Anthony Cannella, co-author of the bill. "The school district is paying $1.2 million annually in debt and carrying the highest interest rate any school in California has ever paid. This relief means major savings to the district and will allow it to restore programs focused on student achievement."

MCOE hosts workshop about California education budget

The Monterey County Office of Education will host a free workshop to discuss the most recent developments in state education finance and other topics from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Friday May 31 at the Monterey County Office of Education located at 901 Blanco Circle in Salinas.

The workshop will be provided by Capitol Advisors Group, a Sacramento-based education advocacy firm. The workshop is open to anyone who wants to learn the latest on education funding in California. Topics of discussion will include the governor’s proposed Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), Proposition 98, school accountability, school energy funding, and more.

For additional information on this budget workshop, call Kevin Gordon (916) 847-9454. Register here.

Tom Torlakson cracking down on Capital Appreciation Bonds

In a joint letter with State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, California Superintendent of School Tom Torlakson today urged school administrators against issuing Capital Appreciation Bonds until new legislation is completed.

"We urge you and your Board of Education not to issue CABs until the Legislature and the Governor have completed their consideration of this year’s proposals to reform the CAB issuance process by improving transparency and protecting taxpayers against exorbitant debt service payments," the letter reads


Dear County and District Superintendents:

We understand many districts face a critical need to build or modernize facilities for their children, and we recognize that falling property tax assessments, revenue losses, and statutory debt service limits have all combined to reduce districts’ debt financing options. As a result, some districts have turned to capital appreciation bonds (CABs), which have forced taxpayers to pay more than 10 times the principal to retire the bonds.

Thus, we urge you and your Board of Education not to issue CABs until the Legislature and the Governor have completed their consideration of this year’s proposals to reform the CAB issuance process by improving transparency and protecting taxpayers against exorbitant debt service payments. Through this process, we welcome and encourage your input to ensure that the needs of districts are still being met.

In too many cases, CAB deals have forced taxpayers to pay more than 10 times the principal to retire the bonds. Also, the transactions have been structured with 40-year terms that delay interest and principal payments for decades, resulting in huge balloon payments and burdens on future taxpayers that cannot be justified. Too frequently, board members and the public have not been fully informed about the costs and risks associated with CABs. In some cases, board members have reported they were not even aware they approved the sale of CABs.

It is important to note that CABs with terms exceeding 25 years place the repayment obligation on future taxpayers who likely will not benefit from the capital improvements financed by the CABs. At the same time, the CABs payments will reduce those taxpayers’ capacity to finance construction and modernization projects their own children will need.

We are convinced that remedial legislation is needed to prevent abuses and ensure that both school board members and the public obtain timely, accurate, complete, and clear information about the costs of CABs, and alternatives, before CABs are issued. The Governor has told us he wants reforms. Key lawmakers and legislative leaders have made clear they agree statutory changes are needed.

For all these reasons, we believe your district and every other district in the state should impose a moratorium on issuing CABs. The moratorium should remain in effect until the Governor and Legislature decide on reforms in the current legislative session. If reforms are enacted, subsequent CABs deals can be conducted in compliance with the new statutory requirements.

Thank you for your consideration. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jeannie Oropeza, Deputy Superintendent, California Department of Education, by e-mail at joropeza@cde.ca.gov.


Sincerely,

Tom Torlakson
Bill Lockyer

A huge casualty of budget cuts -- and an unlikely hero

It's the second time in the last few months that I cover an event I feel would be exciting for young people to attend. The first one was a national telecast of community forums with filmmaker Ken Burns at the National Steinbeck Center about the Dust Bowl. 

Organizers expected 200 students. Only about 80 showed up -- mostly from private schools.

Today I covered an event in Salinas where many students were invited from all over Monterey County. Only 14 students from Seaside High made it.

It's so sad, really, to see students missing out on great opportunities because they can't get transportation. In these day an age when extra-curricular activities seem to take such importance on college entrance exams, it's crucial to extend opportunities to students, but sadly, something's falling through the cracks.

Transportation has always been deemed an "extra," almost a luxury item, but is it really in such a widespread community?

And the unlikely hero? The district that many love to bash: MPUSD, the only one to have the means to bring the students to Salinas. 

Or did AVID students fundraise for that?

Whoever paid for the trip, kudos! These kids were amazing!

Gov. Jerry Brown's budget implications in education

It didn't take long for advocacy groups to venture early observations about Gov. Brown's budget proposal. Scott Lay, president of the Community College League of California fired off one that had some interesting points. Among them:

* Limit state-supported instruction in community colleges to 90 units. Units beyond the cap would be not be state supported, but available at full cost to the student.
* Shift of the remaining adult education program, including $300 million, from K-12 schools to community colleges, and an additional $15.7 million from the K-12 apprenticeship program to community college apprenticeship programs.

I foresee a lot of animated discussions on the horizon. Stay tuned.

MPUSD to begin search for new superintendent

New MPUSD board president Curt Parker, still green on procedures, failed to include an agenda item to accept Superintendent Marilyn Shepherd's resignation for Monday night's meeting. Not to worry, a special meeting has been scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m. to accept it and to begin the search for a new superintendent.

What do you want to see in a new leader for the district? It's your time to voice your opinion.

Incidentally, after being at Monday's meeting, I had yet another revelation on why Dr. Shepherd may have decided it's a good time to call it quits. Yes, I had a conversation with her in which she said she's leaving of her own volition, because it's a good time to do something else. Nothing or nobody is pushing her out, said.

At Monday's meeting, however, the board received a report of the district's financial situation, and even though the district has very good reserves, I don't see how the district will go on without huge budget cuts. The district is deficit spending to the tune of $8 million, so in three years those reserves will be essentially wiped out if those cuts don't come along.

It's going to be interesting. Stay tuned.

Of school bonds and other demons

The widespread practice among school districts of selling "Capital Appreciation Bonds" is coming into sharp focus this week after the L.A. Times published an investigation on the topic. Here's the link.

School districts statewide have been resorting to selling Capital Appreciation Bonds since the economic bubble burst and pushed down property values. Administrators began to use these bonds banking with the belief that property values will go up, so taxpayers would not be adversely affected.  I've also heard from district administrators they plan to refinance the bonds before they become due so the payments are not as high as they're being made to sound on stories like this.

Nine districts in Monterey County have resorted to this type of bonds since 2007: Alisal Union, Bradley Union, Carmel Unified, Gonzales Unified, Greenfield Union, Hartnell College, Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey Peninsula Unified, King City Elementary, and Santa Rita Elementary. Together they've issued about at least $104 million in bonds to finance school construction and renovation.

To my untrained eye, it looks like the only bonds that should raise eyebrows are in Bradley, Carmel, Hartnell and Santa Rita because of their high repayment ratio. But I'll have a chance to look at them more closely in the days to come.

California funding "deferrals" tool

District administrators not only fret about budget cuts, but about "deferrals." It's the money they're supposed to be getting but it's being used in Sacramento to close budget gaps. Talk about borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. 

Doing research for a story I'm writing for tomorrow's paper, I found this cool tool in the web, courtesy of Ed Voice. The database allows you to find out how much the state "deferred" in payments to districts for the 2011-12 school year.

For MPUSD, it was a cool $8 million.
Salinas City Elementary, $10 million.
Salinas Union High, $21 million.

It's money that's owed to the districts, but they can't use it. So they go and borrow, usually with some interest rates attached.Ultimately, it's the taxpayers who foot the bill.

Mmm. Not sure how that will change now that Prop. 30 passed, but will definitely find out.

Here's a pet peeve about fundraising for schools

It always warms my heart when I see children selling chocolate bars for a field trip, or when parents chase after you at the supermarket so they can get the 2 percent or something of your purchase for their school. Even though education is a right, we should not take it for granted, and in fundraising we become aware and make our children be aware of how costly it could be.

(Often I see these fundraisers as remainders that schools don't have enough to educate children: not enough music teachers, not enough funds for transportation for field trips. But that's another story)

Here's my peeve. It's usually the wealthiest among us, those of us who are blessed with wealthy friends and neighbors, who get to raise more money for schools when the schools are probably already doing well. The poorest among us, with no social connections, no healthy tax base, no affluent neighbors, who need more money for their schools and are probably least likely to raise funds by going door to door selling candy.

The problem is likely to be exacerbated in cyberspace. Low income families are less likely than affluent ones to be online. They are less likely to try to raise funds through YouChoose.net or Schoola.com, sites that specialize in channeling money for your favorite causes.

Call it a conflicted relationship. I understand the value of these sites (hence the plug), as I understand the value of fundrasing. But my heart aches when I think the activity likely has little impact in areas where it's most needed.

In a perfect world...

First, Governor Brown; now first dog, Sutter Brown

comes tour Monterey County in support of Prop. 30.

Democratic party stalwarts are getting all cutsey about First Dog Sutter Brown and its tour of California, as it puts "paw to pavement" in support of Prop. 30. The measure in next week's ballot would raise sales taxes for everyone and income taxes for wealthy Californians in order to avoid cuts to education.

Sutter will be in town All Hallows Eve, first in Salinas and later in Monterey. Like its owner, Sutter B has been touring the state to bark for Prop. 30.

The dog's first appearance is scheduled  at 4:30 p.m. at Teamster's Hall, 931 E. Market, Salinas.

At 6:30 p.m. he'll appear at the Monterey Center, 60 Bonifiacio Plaza, Monterey.

I supposed desperate times call for desperate measures. Bring fresh cement for a pawtograph.

And if you want to friend the First Dog, here's its Facebook page.

p.d. Sutter has more than 6,000 likes, way ahead of Bo Obama. America's First Dog has fewer than 2,000. 

It's National School Bus Safety week so please...

watch out for the little ones -- and not so little ones too -- as they get in and out of school buses.

Studies prove that the most dangerous part of the school bus ride for children is when they get on and off the bus. When you consider that this is also "walk to school" month, drivers are encouraged to be super careful and pay attention to the young pedestrians.

And when I say drivers, I actually mean "parents." Sadly, most of the complaints you'll hear are directed toward parents, those who are in such a hurry to drop their children off and pick them up they cut in front of other people, park illegally, etc. So be careful out there, not just for your children's sake but for everyone's. 

California is actually doing very well in student safety, considering how many thousands of students are transported every day -- a lot fewer than before the budget cuts, but still. So let's keep it that way.

And speaking of walking, students from Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Seaside will be walking to school on Wednesday, October 24th along with parents, teachers and community leaders to mark the occasion. So if you see a large contingent of little ones on Broadway and Noche Buena crossing the street, watch out!

Participants will receive a healthy snack, a small prize, and a modest amount of sweat.

School Bytes is on TV!

And so am I. Adela Micha, watch out!

It's a sign of the times. Reporters now have to be more versatile. We have to take photos, produce video, and hosts our own TV shows!

Take a look at my debut on TV. I hosted a forum on California Prop. 30 and 38, the competing, vastly different ballot measures that would increase taxes to fund education. I'm afraid now the issue is getting muddled by the rancorous debate taking place between their sponsors -- Jerry Brown and Molly Munger -- so this may be a good opportunity for you to find out the basics of the two and how they'd affect education in Monterey County.

The program will air on the Media Center for Arts, Education & Technology Channel the following dates. All showings are both A.M. and P.M.

Monday, October 15 at 2 and 8
Saturday, October 20 at 1 and 7
Monday, October 22 at 2 and 8
Saturday, October 27 at 1 and 7

MCAET can be seen on Comcast Cable Channel 26 in the Salinas/Monterey area. MCAET also transmits over the air on Digital Channel 38.2 in the Salinas/Monterey area. In North Monterey County, MCAET can be seen on Charter Cable Channel 17.

Or watch it here!

MPUSD wants you to know what they're up to

Administrators with MPUSD will host a community forum Tuesday, October 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Instructional Materials Center 540 Canyon Del Rey Blvd.

Come hear what district officials have to say about student achievement, Measure P bond projects, the new Monterey Early Childhood Center, and district finances.

My guess is they'll also talk about Proposition 30 and how that will affect the money picture of schools if it fails to pass. 

It's that time of the year, when teachers gather at Asilomar

Teacher leaders with the California Teachers association are in town, and Tuesday they rallied in support of Prop. 30, the governor's tax measure, and against Prop. 32, a measure to change campaign finance rules by banning corporations and unions from contributing to candidates.

Joining teachers in speaking out against Prop. 32 was Beverly Bean, president of the Monterey Peninsula League of Women Voters (pictured in the photo below).

(I couldn't be there, but CTA spokesman Mike Myslinski provided me with photos and transcripts of participants speeches-- and apologies for misspelling his name in an earlier version of the blog)

Carol Rodrigues, special education teacher at the Salinas Elementary School District, spoke in support of Prop. 30. She talked about the challenges her students are facing and how sometimes the only stable element in their lives is school. What would happen if the schools themselves were falling apart, she wondered.

She spoke about increasing class sizes in her district -- kindergarten classes of almost 30 students. She spoke of decreased time with students. Decreased library time.

"Our district was lucky enough to have hired 5 music teachers about 5 years ago. Next year, if things go according to plan, we will have one. For the entire district. Our district was looking at having 5 furlough days this coming year. We have been able to limit furlough days to one, and it will be on a day when students are not at school. That’s the good news. But, and this is crucial, if the Governor’s tax initiative doesn’t pass, we will need to go back and look at more furlough days. Days which will come out of student days."

Dean Vogel, president of CTA, spoke against Prop. 32 and launched a statewide campaign against it. "Prop. 32 is not what it seems," he said in prepared remarks. "It’s a blatant attempt by corporate special interests to silence the political voices of teachers on critical issues like class sizes, testing, and the fight for adequate school funding. The teachers here now with tape on their mouths are a reminder of what this measure wants to really do."

Here's a more detailed explanation of Prop.32.

MPC's scheduled to approve "place holder" budget Wednesday

Trustees with the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District are scheduled to approve Wednesday a "place holder" budget (in the words of President Doug Garrison). Unlike the budget approved for the 2011-12 year, which was based on a "worst case" scenario, this one takes a more measured approach. If you are so inclined, I highly recommend watching President Garrison explain it all in these three videos here , here and here.

Some of the highlights:

* MPC has lost $4.5 million in revenue since 2009
* A downward trend on enrollment translates into less money for the district
* The "February surprise" the mid-year budget cut, translated into a $670,000 cut for the district.
* If Gov. Jerry Brown's tax measure doesn't pass, MPC would have to cut another $2 million from its budget.
* When all the potential cuts are added, the district could be in line to lose $4.2 million.

Besides approving a budget, trustees are scheduled to approve a 2 percent salary reduction for teachers and a 2 percent cut for classified employees through furloughs.

District administrators are scheduled to revise the budget and present a final version in August. Maybe by then California legislators will have already pass a budget.

The meeting Wednesday begins at 4 pm at the Sam Karas room in the library building.

More school districts are in financial distress across California

But with the exception of the South Monterey County Union High -- formerly known as King City -- none are in Monterey County.

The California Department of Education released the names of 188 districts that are walking on a financial tightrope, 12 of them have negative certification -- which means they could be in danger of not meeting their monetary obligations this year or the following one. One such districts is South Monterey County, but given the pricey loan they have from the state, they're destined to remain on the list for a long time to come.

Two or three districts in Monterey County have made an appearance on said list in the past, but none were listed this week, which is to the credit of district administrators and financial gurus with the Monterey County Office of Education, who keep careful scrutiny on all the districts spending.

Quite an accomplishment, given the financial times we live in.

Monterey Peninsula Unified voters ready to tax themselves

While some predicted MPUSD residents would not be willing to spend more money on its schools so soon after approving a bond measure, results from a recent poll conducted on behalf of the district say otherwise.

Results from a poll conducted by EMC Research on behalf of MPUSD show that 70 to 75 percent of potential voters are willing to vote for a parcel tax of at least $72 a year to improve schools. The result is similar to those found two years ago, before voters overwhelmingly approve a bond measure. Trustees heard a presentation about poll results at their meeting Monday.

These results are fascinating and they serve to prove one of my theories: the noise is distracting. While there's a lot of noise coming from MPUSD, that only tells a portion of the story. The real story is a lot more nuanced.

More on the parcel tax tomorrow on the printed edition of the paper.

Carmel Unified to gauge support for a new bond

Carmel Unified trustees have given the go ahead to survey potential voters about their support for a new bond measure. It would be the third bond measure in the last decade, and while administrators and trustees have several projects they'd like to see completed, some residents have shown skepticism about more money for the district.

The results of the survey are expected to be presented to the board in early June, according to Superintendent Marvin Biasotti.