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Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Exiting OUSD Trustee Lisa Smith warns:“To the community, it is your job to watch carefully”
ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
a news service of Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Independent insight into OUSD
Exiting OUSD Trustee Lisa Smith warns:
“To the community, it is your job to watch carefully”
The November 18, 2010 Orange Unified School Board Meeting was the last meeting for outgoing Trustees Lisa Smith and Kim Nichols. In a prepared farewell address, Smith (who no longer lived in her trustee area and could not run for re-election) gave a brief history of the reasons for her original election, how the district was when she was elected, and where the district is at as she leaves it. Citing the current administration under Superintendent Dr. Renae Dreier as putting OUSD on a “course towards excellence”, she praised the fiscal solvency and positive morale of Orange Unified. Referring to the to the new leadership of the OUSD Board, Smith warned about returning to a time, like when she was first elected in the Orange Recall, when the then and eventually recalled Board’s focus was on politics and not the students of OUSD. Like the preacher she is, Smith sternly admonished “to the community, it is your job to watch carefully”. Next, an emotional Nichols, who lost her seat in the November election, did not have a prepared speech, stating that she wanted to focus on the positive. Like Smith, Nichols reminded the audience she was a parent of OUSD students who believed in public education and stated that she would continue to stay involved and active in the school community.
Action Item 12 A on to sell the Killerfer site as surplus property was pulled
At the beginning of the November 18, 2010 meeting, OUSD Board President John Ortega announced that Action Item 12 A had been pulled from the agenda. He did not elaborate on the reason. The item was a Board Resolution to sell the district’s Killerfer site property as surplus property for not less than $3.4 million. The item does not appear on the next OUSD Agenda of December 9, 2010.
Inside the December 10, 2010 OUSD Board Agenda
Two new OUSD Trustees will be ceremoniously sworn in as a result of the November election. Dianne Singer, endorsed by Melissa Smith, Kim Nichols and Kathy Moffat will fill the open Area 1 trustee seat created by the Nichols Realignment that changed the OUSD Trustee Boundaries. Tim Surridge will replace Kim Nichols in Area 5 after defeating her in the November election. Surridge was endorsed by Trustees Rick Ledesma, Mark Wayland and Dr. Alexia Deligianni. Trustee Rick Ledesma will also be sworn in after defeating former OUSD Trustee Steve Rocco by a landslide in Area 7.
After the swearing in, new OUSD Board, new officers for next year will be elected. After the 2001 Orange Recall, a new OUSD Board policy was put into place, rotating the officer positions among the trustees. With the election of Steve Rocco however, the OUSD Board returned to electing Board officers to prevent Rocco from taking a leadership role.
Also on the December 9 board Agenda:
Action Item 12 A-First Interim Budget Report- OUSD will continue its positive financial certification status, even as the current California State Budget goes down in flames.
INSIDE the OUSD Budget
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2010:
$ 385,000
2010 Attorney Fee Tally:
5/27/10 Dannis, Woliver & Kelley $ 30,000
5/27/10 Parker & Covert $ 55,000
5/27/10 Parker & Covert (to 6/11) $300,000
TOTAL $ 385,000
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2009: $1,041,000
2009 Attorney Fee Tally:
11/13/08 Parker & Covert (for 1/09 -6/09) $ 200,000
3/12/09 Atkinson, Andelson, Loya (Sp. Ed) $ 50,000
3/12/09 Parker & Covert (Special Ed) $ 98,000
6/18/09 Parker & Covert (09-10) $ 400,000
6/18/09 Parker & Covert (Special Ed) $ 200,000
6/18/09 Parker & Covert (property) $ 55,000
6/18/09 Atkinson, Andelson, Loya (property)$ 35,000
Total $1,038,000
2009 Consultant/ Speaker Fee Tally:
01/24/09 Leadership Associates Consultants $ 3,000
2009 TOTAL $1,041,000
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2008: $901,200.00
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2007: $704,090.00*
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2006: $849,717.00*
2006 Administrative Conference/Travel: Total $ 18,317 *
* JUNE 8th, 2006 Trustees VOTE to Give OUSD Superintendent the power to
APPROVE OUSD Travel Requests taking this item OUT of the PUBLIC AGENDA
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2005: $978,300.00
Former Superintendent Godley’s Retirement Bonus running total (beginning 8/2008):
$31,670.00*
* The Godley Retirement Bonus presented here is an estimate of the amount in “bonus retirement” accrued since the Superintendent’s retirement on 6/30/08 using a 6% lifetime formula calculated here at $1210 a month since 8/08. The actual retirement plan the former OUSD Superintendent opted to take is not public information and the figures presented are only as an estimate of the taxpayer costs after the OUSD trustees voted against an amendment to exclude Godley from the retirement program. The on-going estimated figure is presented as a reminder to the community of the high cost in educational tax dollars the OUSD Board vote to allow the former Superintendent to participate in the 6% retirement incentive cost the OUSD education community in tax dollars. Godley retired from OUSD on June 30, 2008 after he worked for the school district for a little over five years.
NEXT BOARD MEETING: THURSDAY December 9, 2010
OUSD BOARD ROOM;For AGENDA-CLICK ON
DECEMBER
CLOSED SESSION- No Closed Session is Scheduled
OUSD Regular Session: 7:00 pm
For more information call the OUSD Superintendent’s office at 714-628-4040
For budgeting questions call Business Services at 714-628-4015
ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
Independent insight into OUSD
is an independent news service of /O/N/N/
“Independent Local Insight”
a news service of Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Independent insight into OUSD
Exiting OUSD Trustee Lisa Smith warns:
“To the community, it is your job to watch carefully”
The November 18, 2010 Orange Unified School Board Meeting was the last meeting for outgoing Trustees Lisa Smith and Kim Nichols. In a prepared farewell address, Smith (who no longer lived in her trustee area and could not run for re-election) gave a brief history of the reasons for her original election, how the district was when she was elected, and where the district is at as she leaves it. Citing the current administration under Superintendent Dr. Renae Dreier as putting OUSD on a “course towards excellence”, she praised the fiscal solvency and positive morale of Orange Unified. Referring to the to the new leadership of the OUSD Board, Smith warned about returning to a time, like when she was first elected in the Orange Recall, when the then and eventually recalled Board’s focus was on politics and not the students of OUSD. Like the preacher she is, Smith sternly admonished “to the community, it is your job to watch carefully”. Next, an emotional Nichols, who lost her seat in the November election, did not have a prepared speech, stating that she wanted to focus on the positive. Like Smith, Nichols reminded the audience she was a parent of OUSD students who believed in public education and stated that she would continue to stay involved and active in the school community.
Action Item 12 A on to sell the Killerfer site as surplus property was pulled
At the beginning of the November 18, 2010 meeting, OUSD Board President John Ortega announced that Action Item 12 A had been pulled from the agenda. He did not elaborate on the reason. The item was a Board Resolution to sell the district’s Killerfer site property as surplus property for not less than $3.4 million. The item does not appear on the next OUSD Agenda of December 9, 2010.
Inside the December 10, 2010 OUSD Board Agenda
Two new OUSD Trustees will be ceremoniously sworn in as a result of the November election. Dianne Singer, endorsed by Melissa Smith, Kim Nichols and Kathy Moffat will fill the open Area 1 trustee seat created by the Nichols Realignment that changed the OUSD Trustee Boundaries. Tim Surridge will replace Kim Nichols in Area 5 after defeating her in the November election. Surridge was endorsed by Trustees Rick Ledesma, Mark Wayland and Dr. Alexia Deligianni. Trustee Rick Ledesma will also be sworn in after defeating former OUSD Trustee Steve Rocco by a landslide in Area 7.
After the swearing in, new OUSD Board, new officers for next year will be elected. After the 2001 Orange Recall, a new OUSD Board policy was put into place, rotating the officer positions among the trustees. With the election of Steve Rocco however, the OUSD Board returned to electing Board officers to prevent Rocco from taking a leadership role.
Also on the December 9 board Agenda:
Action Item 12 A-First Interim Budget Report- OUSD will continue its positive financial certification status, even as the current California State Budget goes down in flames.
INSIDE the OUSD Budget
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2010:
$ 385,000
2010 Attorney Fee Tally:
5/27/10 Dannis, Woliver & Kelley $ 30,000
5/27/10 Parker & Covert $ 55,000
5/27/10 Parker & Covert (to 6/11) $300,000
TOTAL $ 385,000
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2009: $1,041,000
2009 Attorney Fee Tally:
11/13/08 Parker & Covert (for 1/09 -6/09) $ 200,000
3/12/09 Atkinson, Andelson, Loya (Sp. Ed) $ 50,000
3/12/09 Parker & Covert (Special Ed) $ 98,000
6/18/09 Parker & Covert (09-10) $ 400,000
6/18/09 Parker & Covert (Special Ed) $ 200,000
6/18/09 Parker & Covert (property) $ 55,000
6/18/09 Atkinson, Andelson, Loya (property)$ 35,000
Total $1,038,000
2009 Consultant/ Speaker Fee Tally:
01/24/09 Leadership Associates Consultants $ 3,000
2009 TOTAL $1,041,000
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2008: $901,200.00
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2007: $704,090.00*
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2006: $849,717.00*
2006 Administrative Conference/Travel: Total $ 18,317 *
* JUNE 8th, 2006 Trustees VOTE to Give OUSD Superintendent the power to
APPROVE OUSD Travel Requests taking this item OUT of the PUBLIC AGENDA
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2005: $978,300.00
Former Superintendent Godley’s Retirement Bonus running total (beginning 8/2008):
$31,670.00*
* The Godley Retirement Bonus presented here is an estimate of the amount in “bonus retirement” accrued since the Superintendent’s retirement on 6/30/08 using a 6% lifetime formula calculated here at $1210 a month since 8/08. The actual retirement plan the former OUSD Superintendent opted to take is not public information and the figures presented are only as an estimate of the taxpayer costs after the OUSD trustees voted against an amendment to exclude Godley from the retirement program. The on-going estimated figure is presented as a reminder to the community of the high cost in educational tax dollars the OUSD Board vote to allow the former Superintendent to participate in the 6% retirement incentive cost the OUSD education community in tax dollars. Godley retired from OUSD on June 30, 2008 after he worked for the school district for a little over five years.
NEXT BOARD MEETING: THURSDAY December 9, 2010
OUSD BOARD ROOM;For AGENDA-CLICK ON
DECEMBER
CLOSED SESSION- No Closed Session is Scheduled
OUSD Regular Session: 7:00 pm
For more information call the OUSD Superintendent’s office at 714-628-4040
For budgeting questions call Business Services at 714-628-4015
ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
Independent insight into OUSD
is an independent news service of /O/N/N/
“Independent Local Insight”
