Update on Your School District
Paul Cordeiro, Superintendent
January 2010
First off, I would like to wish a happy, safe and prosperous
new year to all. I would also ask, in
these difficult times, that the new year heightens everyone’s compassion for
those less fortunate and that this compassion takes various forms of action
(giving, volunteering, sharing) that can make a positive difference. In our community, as in communities
everywhere, families are under stress to make ends meet. They need our help in very simple ways. Think about what you can do.
Regarding your school district, the news is good considering
the state’s worst fiscal crisis in decades.
We look first at our fiscal
status.
The District has
been impacted by the economic downturn, but there is encouraging news.
Between this year and next, reductions totaling $1.4 million
must be made, and, at this writing, the state already faces a $21 billion
dollar deficit that it will have to address in 2010. As a result of reduced funding, the Governing
Board increased class size in grades K-3 and redirected certain funds (e.g.,
deferred maintenance) to cover operating expenses. Fortunately, the Board has been a good
steward of the District’s resources. Still,
conservative management will be required as the economy recovers.
A budgetary positive can be found in the new way the
District receives its funding. For
years, revenue was generated based on the number of students in attendance. The more students in attendance, the greater
the revenue generated. For this reason,
it was important to build the District’s
enrollment, particularly through transfers of students who reside in other
areas. The need for transfers was critical
because the student population within District boundaries (as predicted in
local economic forecasts) has declined for 10 consecutive years. Many families simply cannot afford to live in
the area. Under the new funding model, revenue does not depend on enrollment
but on property taxes. Cumulative
property tax revenue exceeds the amount generated by enrollment, and so, by
law, the District keeps the greater amount of the two. This bodes well for the future. The Board will restore K-3 class size
reduction at the earliest possible time, and it will also be looking to restore/enhance
programs and ensure competitive compensation for its employees, who themselves,
face high living costs.
As a result of the funding change, the Board took action to
restrict transfers into the District
(since transfers are not generating revenue).
But for extreme hardship, transfers are no longer accepted. Transfer students currently enrolled at Carpinteria High School will be given the option to
remain through graduation. Current Carpinteria Middle School
seventh grade transfers will have the option of remaining through eighth grade
(but not beyond). With ongoing declining
enrollment and a more restrictive transfer policy, the District will more
quickly become a smaller District, but a smaller population will see future
program enhancements that will benefit all.
Achievement
continues to rise.
The Academic Performance Index (API), based on 2009 state
test results, rose at every CUSD
school. Summerland (968), Aliso (861)
and Canalino (801) exceeded the statewide target of 800. At 778, the Carpinteria Family
School is well on its way
to 800. Carpinteria Middle and Carpinteria High Schools hit new API highs, and
staff at those schools are working hard to speed progress toward 800. These
academic gains are the result of coherent system initiatives that reflect a
tight link between state standards, instruction, assessment and careful analyses
of student performance. Teachers and
administrators have worked hard to support achievement by providing additional
learning opportunities (e.g., before/after-school tutorials) and new classroom
resources that focus on mastery of state standards. Our overall push is to ensure all students attain
mastery of grade level standards. With grade-to-grade mastery, students will
have maximum post-secondary options, including admission to four-year colleges
and universities.
A recent national study showed that the U.S. Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) loses over 1.3 trillion dollars per year as a result of an
under-educated populace. It’s truly a
staggering number. If, in our own community and across the state the majority
of high school graduates earned college diplomas, the state’s earning power
would soar, its revenues would rise and the overall quality of life would
improve for everyone. It’s not an
abstract concept. It’s real, and, if we
work diligently within our system, we can elevate achievement for all students,
regardless of the challenges these students face (e.g., poverty) outside of
school. Only last year, CHS
substantially increased the percentage of seniors meeting course requirements
for UC/CSU admission…but there is still much improvement to be made.
Hundreds of
thousands of dollars in public and private grants are supporting academic
success.
Through aggressive pursuit of grants, the District continues
expanding its reach to raise achievement.
The recently opened Main Family
Resource Center (MFRCC) is funded by three private foundations (Orfalea,
Hutton, Bower) and First Five of Santa Barbara County. A fifth foundation is expected to sign on
early this year. As an entity supporting
school readiness, the MFRCC, when fully operational, will be assisting children
and families before and during the
preschool years up to kindergarten readiness. This ambitious, cutting edge effort, will, in
a cased-managed, coordinated fashion, address the health/wellness, parenting
and pre-literacy needs of every family with future school-age children. It will become a model for other communities
and a true treasure for all Capinterians.
Look for more information in the coming months.
To promote health and wellness, the District has partnered
with the Orfalea Foundation and its s’Cool
Food initiative. Thanks to Orfalea,
a dramatic transformation is taking place in our food services operations. Students are now eating “scratch-cooked”
meals, many with locally grown ingredients (including organic produce). Orfalea has effected system-wide change
through retraining food service workers, purchasing cooking equipment,
facilitating participation of local farmers, upgrading/installing school
gardens, and giving nutrition/cooking presentations directly to students. A
centerpiece is the new, one-acre organic farm at Carpinteria High School. An Orfalea-funded farmer is working with CHS
staff and students to produce organic fruits and vegetables in a sustainable
fashion. The yield is going to all
school cafeterias and to CHS’s Culinary Arts program. As a part of CHS’s Agriculture Science and Technology Academy, the farm has expanded an
already impressive array Academy programs (veterinary science, greenhouse
flower production, tractor restoration and agriculture mechanics, Future
Farmers of America).
Other grant-funded initiatives include:
- After
School All Stars serving 300 K-8 students (academic support/enrichment
wellness).
- Safe
Schools-Healthy Students (additional therapeutic counseling, after-school
enrichment at CHS, full-time drug treatment counselor, full-time youth
service specialist, full-time campus security aide, Too Good for Drugs and Violence curriculum)
- Science
Matters professional development program for grades 4-6 teachers
- Teacher
Grants funded by the Carpinteria Education Foundation
The Carpinteria
Education Foundation (CEF) is making a huge difference for kids.
As a fund-raising entity, CEF is hitting its stride.
Led by Development Director
Patricia Alpert and Grant Writer-Treasurer Marianne McCarthy,
private grants are flowing into the District, supporting a wide range of
efforts. More important, Carpinterians
have stepped up and supported CEF through their participation in Carp-A-Cabana,
Orchard-to-Ocean Run (March 20) and the annual appeal. If you want to contribute or volunteer,
please contact Patricia Alpert at 566-1615.
Carpinteria High School builds on its efforts to connect
students to their future.
Our career paths in agricultural science, media arts and
culinary arts are flourishing. Our business simulation program, Virtual Enterprise, is making
breakthrough strides with teacher Julie Shamblin leading the way. Staff are now working to introduce a global
studies career path that integrates Advanced Placement geography, linguistics
and international web-based student projects.
We are also developing, with CEF’s support, a new class in
biotechnology. The Hutton Foundation
continues supporting the Freshman
Academy and other
programs that build pro-social behaviors and high expectations for the
future. Advancement Via Individual
Determination (AVID), a program that targets students who would be the first in
their family to go to college, recently sent 25 students on a weekend trip to
UC Berkeley to witness firsthand the electricity of a big-time college
environment. For many, this was the
first time they had even ventured out of the
area. AVID is part of CHS’s ongoing
push to increase four-year college admission.
A new culinary teaching kitchen will be the latest community asset.
The Culinary Arts Institute (CAI), a collaboration with Santa Barbara City College,
is among the most in-demand career paths at CHS. Led by teacher Mary Keane Gruener, CAI offers
three college credit culinary arts courses in addition to its food
curriculum. Students donning chef coats
and hats are serious about learning what it takes to make it in the culinary
industry. The problem is they are using
a sixties era “home ec” room that falls far short of what is needed. That is about to change. Architectural plans have been completed for a
new, state-of-the-art facility that will move the program forward in a dramatic
way. A new kitchen will not only serve
students, it will also serve the community by offering after-hours classes to
anyone interested in expanding their cooking repertoire. Of the estimated $1.4
million cost, over $900,000 is in place (between a grant from the state,
private foundation grants and funds the Board has put into place out of a
special account that can only be used for facility improvements). Your Carpinteria Education Foundation and District
staff are working to raise the balance of the cost through grants and other
means. Ground-breaking is expected in
8-16 months. If you’d like to get involved, contact the CEF Development Director
Patricia Alpert at 566-1615. Community
partnership built the stadium and the CMS sports complex. It’s time to partner again to make the
kitchen a reality.
We are pleased to see the District making great strides,
even in tough economic times. Kudos to
teachers, administrators, parents and community members who are making our
schools great. We look forward to
everyone’s continued support.
