School Board Comments
Good Evening,
After not attending the last few Board meetings and taking some time off, I wanted to come tonight to address a couple of items that have been on previous Board agendas and action items for tonight’s meeting.
The first item is in regards to the California School Board Association Self-Evaluation Report. The report states, “This report is a record of individual perceptions at the time the board members took the survey. These are only perceptions, not facts.” According to the results, all areas except one, were rated as a strength for ALL members or for majority of members. Only one area was rated as yellow meaning an area of growth for a majority of members. Only one.
As a reminder, TVEA conducted a survey of TVUSD leadership in May. The results by members of TVEA have a much different perspective of TVUSD leadership. Many areas rated as below average performance, indicating a strong disconnect between the Board’s perception of themselves verses TVEA members perception of TVUSD leadership.
The budget challenges that the District faces has a lot to do with the lack of confidence amongst TVEA members with TVUSD leadership. On June 27, 2017, the Board voted to approve the 2017/18 budget, knowing that the district will not be able to meet the required reserves in 2018/19 and 2019/20. To add to that, the structural deficit is approximately $10 million each year.
Despite knowing the district is facing a financial shortfall in the next few years, tonight’s agenda includes Action Items 03-6: Increases to the Superintendent’s Salary schedule, the Assistant Superintendent of Business Support Services, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Support Services, and the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resource Development contracts. Increases in salaries range from $6998 to $9925. Adding to that, increases in these salaries previously took place in April 2016 and July 2016.
Interestingly, Action Item 07: Governing Board Compensation Increase is back on the agenda tonight after the motion failed last month. Why is this? Who brought this action item back? Is this a case of “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours?”
The board agenda from June 27, 2017 states, “The District will need it reduce costs through reorganization, negotiations, and any other means necessary to restore the Districts required revenues and maintain fiscal solvency.”
Based on action items placed on the agenda tonight, it appears district leadership is over-looking the phrase “any other means necessary” in order to line their own pockets while a vast majority of members will be seeing a salary decrease due to an increase to their medical insurance rates. The perception of these actions, I’m sure, will not sit well with a vast majority of TVEA members.
