About Cambria

This Thursday the school board will have its first meeting of 2009.  If you want to go, the meeting starts at 7:00pm at the Old Grammar School on Main.  This past November, Cambria voters re-elected  Robert Gong and Cindy Fratto. They have been joined by the newly-elected Victoria Dandurand, who edged out the next candidate,  Daniel McDonald,  by just over a hundred votes.  A recent invitation to the meeting from  Steve Kniffen  promises the meeting could be interesting.  The Board will be reviewing some “Williams complaints”. One board member has a Williams complaint on record with the district and may have to recuse herself from the discussion and/or decision-making on the complaints.

If you don’t have school-aged kids or pay close attention to California education, you may not know what Williams v California is or what that decision has meant for California Schools.I had no idea what it was, so I did some digging – starting on the Coast USD website and linking to decentschools.com to get the lowdown. Here’s how decentschools.com answers “What is Williams v California?”

On May 17, 2000, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), along with other civil rights organizations, filed a lawsuit against the State of California because of the terrible conditions in many of its public schools (the Williams v. California case). Parents, students, and teachers argued that the State is failing to provide thousands of public school students, particularly those in low-income communities and communities of color, with the basic necessities required for an education.

They argued that the State’s failure to provide these bare minimum necessities to all public school students in California violates the state constitution, as well as state and federal requirements that all students be given equal access to public education without regard to race, color, or national origin. In August 2004, a settlement (legal agreement) was announced.

The settlement requires that all students have books and that their schools be clean and safe. It takes steps to make sure that students have qualified teachers and that schools deliver these important resources to students. The settlement provides nearly $1 billion to accomplish these goals.

All public school students, parents and teachers are affected by this settlement. The upshot of the ruling and related legislation is affirmation that all students have the right to a clean and safe school; the right to have a book to use in class and at home; the right to have a qualified teacher. In addition to posting these rights in the classroom, schools are required to have a complaint form available and principals must respond to complaints within 30 working days. If the complainant  is unsatisfied with the remedy, they may appeal to the superintendent, who must respond within 45 days of the initial complaint date. If this does not result in a satisfactory outcome, the complaint is considered by the Board.

Apparently, there is at least one complaint at this last  stage of the process for the Board to consider at this week’s meeting. To get a taste of the issue, visit SanLuisObispo.com, the Tribune’s website, to read Kathe Tanner’s article.

The School Board holds their closed session before the regular meeting. At 7pm, they will resume open session and follow this agenda:

IV. RESUME TO OPEN SESSION

4.1 Call to Order
4.2 Pledge of Allegiance
4.3 Announce closed session item(s)/action
A. Board Action on Expulsion Recommendation for Student 08109-3
4.4 Approval of Agenda (ACTION)

V. HEARING SESSION
The Hearing Session is designed to afford citizens the opportunity to address the Board on non-agenda items. All persons desiring to address the Board are requested to identify themselves. Speakers are normally limited to 3 minutes each with a maximum of 12 minutes per topic.

VI. CONSENT AGENDA (ACTION)

6.1 Approval of Minutes of Regular Meeting, December 1 1,2008
6.2 Approval of Warrants: Batch Nos. 26,27,28,29
6.3 Acceptance of Cash Report as of December 3 1,2008
6.4 Acceptance of Enrollment Report as of December 3 1,2008
6.5 Approval of Consultant Contracts for 2008-09, available for review in Supt ‘s office:
Eric Schell (Schell Technical Services, Inc.), provide computer and technology services
6.6 Donations:
A Dell PC Computer, keyboard and mouse (value: $1,000) to Coast Union High School from Wade Lawrence, Templeton, CA
$500.00 to Santa Lucia Middle School Athletic Department, from Bob Begley, Porterville, CA

VII. PRESENTATIONS

7.1 Santa Lucia Middle School Student Representative: Report of Activities
7.2 Board Recognition: Bruce Gibson, SLO County Board Supervisor

VIII. INFORMATION/DISCUSSION

8.1 Santa Lucia Middle School Principal’s Report: Progress on School Areas of Emphasis and Goals

8.2 Governing Board/Superintendent

A. Superintendent’s Report

IX. ACTION SESSION

9.1 Personnel

A. Approval of Personnel: Potential Layoff, Appointment, Employment, Discipline, Resignation and Dismissal of District Employee(s), per Government Code 54956.9 (ACTION)
B. Discuss, Review and Approve Quarterly Report on Uniform Complaints (ACTION)
9.2 Facilities/Operations
A. Facilities Report, Denis de Clercq
9.3 Budget
A. Public Hearing: Review Annual Accounting for School Facilities Fees
B. Acceptance and Approval of Resolution 08109-5 – Annual Accounting of Development Fees for 2007-08 Fiscal Year in the following Fund or Account: Capital Facilities (ACTION)

X. ADJOURNMENT
The next regularly scheduled meeting is on Thursday, February 12,2009, at 6:00 p.m. Closed Session in the Superintendent’s Office and 7:00 p.m. Open Session in the Old Grammar School Designated Board Room.
I haven’t ever been to a School Board meeting other than when my Dad was Superintendent of schools in the Bay Area. I didn’t go to a single one during the 5 years I taught in New Orleans Public Schools. I plan to go to this one.

Local Election results are in and our new leaders have been chosen. Below are the results for the Cambria Community Healthcare District, Coast Unified School District, and Cambria Community Services District.

CAMBRIA COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE DISTRICT DIRECTOR

COAST UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER

CAMBRIA COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT DIRECTOR

I got my sample ballot in Saturday’s mail. If you haven’t registered to vote yet, you can still do so. October 20 is the last day to register to vote. California law now allows registered voters to request permanent Vote by Mail Voter status for any reason at all.  Your application to vote absentee must reach the office of the Clerk/Recorder not less than 7 days before the day of the election. Your Vote by Mail ballot can be sent by mail, fax or dropped off in person at any polling place in the county or to the Clerk/Recorder’s office by the end of voting on November 4, 2008.  For further information phone the Elections Department 781-5080.

In addition to President, US Congressperson, state senate and state assembly positions, nine propositions, and three bonds, Cambrians will be asked to choose members for the Coast Unified School District, the Cambria Community Healthcare District and the Cambria Community Services District.

I invite all the candidates to weigh in with their 2 cents here on AboutCambria.com, so Cambrians will have more to go on than just the names and a hunch. Clive Finchamp, Muril Clift, Frank DeMicco and Richard Davega have written about  some of their positions about CCSD. To read their contributions, click their name in the right-hand column.

AboutCambria.com is committed to bringing the unfiltered views of the candidates, in their own words and/or through interviews,  to our readers.  Commentary from candidates should be about why they are the best person for the job. Candidates, I want to know why I SHOULD vote for you, not why I SHOULDN’T vote for your opponent.

To minimize negative/attack campaigning on this site, contributions submitted anonymously or focused on why another candidate is not the best person for the job are restricted to Comments left in response to a contribution by or interview of a candidate. As managing editor, I reserve the right to approve posts by and about candidates, but will not edit or delete comments made in response to a post.

August 30th I posted an article about the fields at Cambria’s Elementary School. Tonight there will be a meeting for those interested in the issue, according to an email from Steve Kniffen.

To those who don’t know yet,

It seems as if manna has fallen from heaven in regards to our fields at the grammar school.

There is much hearsay, but this is what I know to be the gossip…it seems that the company that built our field system was sold in the recent past. The new owner decided to go check on some of the back projects that his new company had recently completed( and were using on the company web site as examples of his company’s work). Lo and behold: he stumbled on to Cambria. It seems he was none to happy, especially if you compare the web site picture with what it actually looks like.

The gentleman’s name is Mark Rehbein and it seems as if he has said that he is going to “make it right.” What?!?! Did I hear that correctly…He is going to make it right? Nobody says that anymore. But it seems that’s what he has said. I’ve even heard that he has said more…but I won’t comment on that…that would be gossiping. But guess what, we can ask him ourselves, ya’ know why? Because he wants to meet with us, any of us, all of us, anyone who cares. I’d like the whole world there if they could…The meeting is at 7:00 pm on Wednesday,today, at the Grammar School multi-propose room.

He says he can fix us and make us whole again. I’m excited, cautious, but excited. He thinks he can make us like his product and I for one can not wait to give him the chance to sell me on his solution.

Why this guy has shown up now is of great curiosity to me, not important, but interesting none the less. Maybe the good Lord has you wander around the desert for a while to create character and teach lessons, then the Promise Land. Or maybe this new superintendent has the magic touch.

What ever the reason, I’m so happy for this meeting I can barely control myself. If you find this interesting, please show up, and “no” I am not making the traditional community announcements with road signs to remind everyone, this electronic notice will serve as my invitation, but feel free to send it to whom ever you think might be interested in coming.

Steve Kniffen

I’ve recently remarked that there is much more to Cambria than the joyous complications of the CCSD and that AboutCambria.com would start covering a wider variety of goings on in our village. With schools recently starting up again, a new superintendent on the horizon and Board members up for election in November….the time is ripe for talking about our schools here in Cambria.

Now, I must admit I am not as up-to-date on the personalities, issues and successes at the schools. But I don’t have to rely on my memory of being a student to try to understand: I don’t have kids, but I did teach high school English in New Orleans for 5 years, including 2 years as department chair, and know a little about Cambria’s teens from the 2 years I worked at the Cambria Community Center (AKA the Youth Center).

A flurry of emails has been flying through the ether about the fields at the elementary school, a discussion launched by the always passionate and sincere Steve Kniffen. Apparently, the fields at the elementary school are unusable. There was an effort to get the grass growing again over the summer, but for whatever reason, there has been little success. And in considering the frustration of no fields at the NEW school, Steve thought of more questions about budget issues and irrigation and quality.

Teri Mertens wrote a coherent and useful reply. While it didn’t offer any specific solutions, it did offer a clear sense of values and another first-hand view of the situation:

I supervise lunch recess on the 3rd tier at the grammar school. The small patch of grass on that upper level is currently the only open field. The lack of field space creates congestion on the rest of the playground. I am grateful that Steve Kniffen volunteers regularly to run an afternoon softball game (on the blacktop) to keep a LARGE group of students involved and positive.

I know where Steve’s passion about the fields comes from. I have seen his commitment to the children in this town. He is a taxpayer who volunteered his time to pass our school bond. A parent who installed tether ball courts at the old school. A dedicated coach of many sport teams. A regular volunteer on campus who teaches the rules of games and encourages fair play. A fundraiser who barbecues for many worthy causes. A homeowner who can appreciate the beauty and pride of a well kept yard.

We all know Steve deeply cares about Cambria.

I have witnessed the fields at their best and at their worst. At the end of last year they were a travesty. I know that the District maintenance has been trying to rectify the problem. I believe that the parents and staff have been patient. I think that Steve has been (and is continuing to be) an important advocate for the children. We can’t drop the ball again… we can’t let the fields die this year.

Last year, I was walking by the Old Grammar School and a tourist asked me if it was going to be demolished. The knee high thistle under the climbing structure and the dead fields gave the appearance of abandonment. I remembered living near the school when my kids were toddlers. On the weekends we would walk over to swing on the swings, hang on the bars, and look through the windows to admire all of the beautiful artwork. It was quality family time. How sad that the neighbors of that site no longer have a welcoming “gem” to enjoy. How sad that the school district doesn’t maintain this “playground space” to encourage a healthy community.

All district sites should be places of community pride: Places that encourage and welcome good, clean fun. I am hoping that our new Superintendent will see our school sites as community assets to be loved by more than just the K-12 population.

It’s worth my time,

Toni Mertens

Cindy Fratto responded that the issue is “of utmost concern to me” and offered to meet with Steve and anyone else about the concerns Steve raised. She went on to say :

Many of these concerns have been misunderstood, as often happens in our small town. They are still vaild concerns and deserve a sincere response. Please contact me if you would like to meet to go over these and any others. I will discuss/answer to the best of my abilities, and find out what I don’t know.

I don’t think I speak out of turn in saying that the entire Board cares very much about this District and is not ignoring these concerns.

Cindy Fratto

The back and forth among some of the more verbal folks was revealing. It’s the same basic complaint I’ve been hearing at the CCSD for at least a year now: the public complain about the lack of information dissemination and the scheduling of the meeting while members of the Board argue that if the public would attend the meetings, they would be informed and have a say. In a way, both sides are right. And this is precisely why I started AboutCambria.com…to provide another way for people to get information on their own time, at their own pace. Ideally, it would serve as a place for conversation and finding solutions, too.

From one of Steve’s later responses on this issue of information sharing:

“…elected representatives have a responsibility to diseminate information to their constituantcy beyond the attendence at a meeting…Thursday nights are impossible for me and maybe others as well, that should not preclude us from information. I spend lots of time at events where this information should be forthcoming: PTA meetings, site council, recess, reading the Cambrian. The problem is this, we live in a feel good society, we don’t want to discuss failures, problems and mishaps. We just want them to go away, but they are not. If my circle of friends don’t posses this information, then we are not trying to hard to get that information out. The number of people who are now informed because of the reply all button on my computer should prove the point that it is not to hard to get the information out there…”

Cindy Fratto will be meeting with the PTA on Tuesday September 2 at 6pm, so jot it on your calendar if you’d like to go find out what is being done to fix the fields and address other concerns about the quality of the facilities.

AboutCambria.com is a reflection and creation of those who participate, which means you’re quite likely to run into some strong opinions and biases. But I work to provide both sides the time and space to have their opinion heard – not unbiased, but working toward balance.