DOWNEY - The most noticeable change in the revised organizational chart that the Board approved at its regular meeting on Nov. 16 is the absence of the assistant superintendent/personnel services slot once occupied by the now retired Stan Hanstad.This is in keeping with a more determined district mindset to further cut costs due to budget considerations. Thus some functions have been consolidated and staff titles renamed to reflect leaner and tighter operations. (See accompanying chart above). New assignments and titles include those of: Roger Brossmer, former Downey Adult School principal, as senior director/certificated personnel; Dr. Robert Jagielski, former director of pupil services, as director of student services; Phil Davis, former support programs/career-technical education director, as, simply, director of support programs (including the principalship of Downey Adult School); Denise Takano, former director of elementary education, as director of curriculum, instruction and assessment; and Leslie Jones, former categorical programs director, as director of instructional support programs. Meanwhile, in another calculated money-saving move, the Board approved a resolution for the issuance and sale of 2010 general obligation refunding bonds in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $19 million, for the purpose of refunding ("paying off") all or a portion of the Prior Bonds in one or more series and, in the process, allow the district and the property taxpayers therein, to realize financial savings. The subject Prior Bonds are the 1996 election general obligation bonds, series C and E; and the 2002 election general obligation bonds, Series A. Assistant superintendent of business services Kevin Condon says this is the third time in the last four years that the district has "refinanced" its outstanding bonds, resulting in reducing the tax burden of businesses and residents within the district by some $3 million. This latest series of refunding bonds should save taxpayers in the neighborhood of $1.1 million, says Condon. Tentative closing date for the bonds sale in Dec. 16.

********** Published: December 2, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 33