Presentations mark DUSD meeting

DOWNEY - The Board of Education heard presentations recognizing the Downey AYSO team for winning the Division UB10 state championship, and honoring Downey Adult School's Chesty Peterson on his retirement this year after 35 years of service as an instructor, and Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation's Calvin Davis in the area of environment for his central role in saving the district $8 million over eight years in energy costs.AYSO coach Manuel Rincon hailed the accomplishment of the AYSO team as state champions, the first team in 64 years to do so. He said the team is scheduled to travel to Florida next month, to vie in the national championships. A few of the many important assignments Peterson performed for DAS since he started in 1975 include part-time and fulltime instructor in cashiering and retail grocery classes, and regular instructor in the Business Education Center-office and computer skills, resource instructor, technology coordinator, resource specialist, and department chair. But without doubt his greatest contributions, said DAS director of education Roger Brossmer, are in the area of computer technology, both in classroom instruction and in applications benefiting the district, as well as computer curriculum development. Davis has been the energy manager since 2002, and to him goes the credit for realizing an annual energy savings of $1 million since. "He's such an asset it's impossible to put into words how he has meant to the district," said MOT director Buck Weinfurter. Dr. Wendy Doty presented Davis with the superintendent's Vision Award. In other action, the Board: *Accepted with gratitude cash and in-kind donations from various generous donors, including $14,500 from Gypsy Johnson Auxiliary in support of the TLC family Resource Center; $1,647.93 from Rio Gabriel Elementary School PTA to support the instructional program and the purchase of library books at the school; and $1,000 from Alameda Elementary School PTA for TLC luncheon sponsorships; one Ford F-150 truck valued at $4,500 from Buck Weinfurter, to be used by the Grounds Department; and a donation of cases of strapping tape, masking tape, and packaging tape, valued at $1,900 from Holiday Paper Products, for district use; *Ratified/approved usual district business, including the payment of convention and conference attendance; general agreements with a couple of agencies; special education placements; purchase orders by the Purchasing Department; the change orders to various purchase orders; and routine Personnel items until subsequent action is taken by the Board of Education; *Approved the proposed revisions to AR 3111, Regular 2011-12 School Calendar; *Approved the revisions to BP 3165 and AR 3165 on parental involvement in the education of their children, and deletion of BP 3162 and AR 3162 (Title I parent involvement); *Approved the appointment of The Epler Company to perform the AB 1200 Actuarial Study for the period ending June 30, 2010, the cost not to exceed $6,000; *Accepted the quarterly uniform complaint report summary; *Approved the principal and athletic director(s) of Downey and Warren High School as representatives to the San Gabriel Valley League; *Authorized the payroll department to withhold sums for the 2010-11 fiscal year, without charge, from pay warrants of both certificated and classified personnel when directed to do so by the employee on a revocable form provided for the purpose in accordance with Education Code Section 45060; *Approved district memberships for the 2010-11 fiscal year; *Approved Adult School memberships for the 2010-11 school year; *Approved various agreements between the district and other parties for various purposes; *Approved the agreements entered into by the Downey Adult School for purposes of practical experience; *Approved bid renewals by various vendors; *Accepted as complete roofing, fencing, backhoe, and electrical work performed by various contractors, even as it renewed the annual contract for fencing work with McCullah Fence of Bell Gardens for the fifth year of a 5-year optionally renewable period; *Approved the adjustments to the 2009-10 General Fund unrestricted and restricted budgets, to reflect increases of $5,568,176 and $4,087,258, respectively; similar adjustments to the 2009-10 Adult Education Fund unrestricted and restricted budgets; a slight adjustment to the 2009-10 Cafeteria Fund restricted budget; the adjustment to the 2009-10 Deferred Maintenance Fund unrestricted budget; the adjustment to the 2009-10 Self-Insurance Fund unrestricted budget; and the transfer of $2,750,000 from the unrestricted General Fund to the unrestricted Adult Education Fund; *Authorized the service of the Speech/Language Pathologist, assigned on a waiver for Education Code Section 44265.3 for the 2010-11 school year; *Approved the abolishment of one Instructional Assistant (bilingual) at Ward Elementary School effective June 16, 2010; the abolishment of one Child Care Assistant position effective June 23, 2010 as well as one vacant 4-hour Intermediate Clerical Assistant position effective June 8, 2010, along with one 8-hour Intermediate Clerical Assistant position effective July 23, 2010-all at Downey Adult School; and the establishment of two Senior Instructional Assistant positions, and one limited-term Senior Instructional Assistant position to provide support services for students with special needs; *Adopted a resolution on temporary interfund cash transfers for 2010-11, per Education Code Section 42603; *Adopted a resolution authorizing the annual delegation of administrative authority to superintendent Wendy Doty for the processing of routine budget revisions, adjustments and transfers; *Adopted a resolution authorizing federal revenues for child nutrition to be expended initially on classified salaries and benefits subject to PERS (Public Employees' Retirement System); *Approved the revised 2009-10 Downey Adult School course of study; *Approved, after a public hearing, the use of certain available Tier III categorical funds in accordance with Education Code Section 42605(c)(2), as follows: 1) $7,617,883 to fund on-going categorical programs; and 2) $7,513,611 to offset the cost of 110 full-time equivalent certificated and classified positions to avoid further staffing cuts; *Approved the Memorandum of Understanding between the California School Employees Association (CSEA), Chapter #746 and the Downey Unified School District for the 2010-11 school year, mutually agreeing not to open the Master Agreement for the 201o11 school year; *Authorized the approval of the declaration of need for fully qualified educators for the 2010-11 school year; *Declared that as a result of financial uncertainties, negotiations, legislation, and other factors, all management including superintendent and assistant superintendents, confidential, and other unrepresented employee salaries are indefinite for 2010-11; and *Endorsed the actions taken by the superintendent on all students cases (nos. 84-92). The next regular public meeting of the Board of Education will be at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 29 at the Gallegos Administration Center, 11627 Brookshire Ave., across the street from Downey Regional Medical Center.

********** Published: June 11, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 8