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TJUSD Board Meeting - September 06, 2018

PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 10:41 am
by blackturtle.us
There were lots of people at the meeting on Thursday (September 06, 2018). The meeting lasted about one hour and twenty minutes and there were somewhere around thirty to forty people in attendance, including board members, staff, students, community members, and one sheriff deputy.

HIGHLIGHTS:
1) Trona Teachers Association - Teaching staff has concerns about financial issues. Software subscriptions are not getting paid for, reimbursement for travel expenses is taking months, and there are concerns about payroll being handled properly.
2) Superintendent’s Report - Lots of new stuff this year including a makerspace and all new library at the elementary, plus several other upgrade projects. The superintendent also introduced the artist who created the mural at the high school quad.
3) Trona Park Task Force - Lana McCullar and Don Holland (county representative) talked about the formation of a park on land owned by the school just south of the football field. The park will be under the jurisdiction of a private non-profit organization to be called Trona Park Task Force. (Approval of non-profit status pending.) The group will lease the land from the school district and they will deal with development and maintenance of the park.
4) MOT - Head of MOT updated the school board on several projects including the new bell system, new weight room equipment expected to arrive in a few weeks, and resolution of issues involving recently install lighting. Additionally, he mentioned a “Child Check-Mate System” which is being installed in all buses. The system basically forces bus drivers to check the bus to make sure there are no students left onboard before they leave the bus. If the driver fails to press a button at the back of the bus, then an alarm goes off.
5) Synergy Day - The high school principal talked a little about Synergy Day at the high school. He characterized it as a success and said that it helped build a sense of “connectedness” among staff and students. He mentioned that the elementary also held a Synergy Day. An elementary teacher stated that students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade participated and that they enjoyed the activity.
6) Public Comments - A total of twelve people spoke to the board. All but one shared concerns they had about the football program. The other person requested that the message “Please Don’t Trash Trona” be posted on the high school marquee. He explained that he is part of a group that keeps the bike path trash free and that it takes a lot of effort on their part to pick up all the trash left in that area.
7) A number of people were approved for various positions. Three people were not approved.
8) Financial Issue Involving Revolving Cash - The board approved a measure to deal with financial mistakes that had occurred in the past. The revolving cash fund will be replenished ($3000) pending approval from a county auditor.
9) Financial Issue Involving Credit Card Payment Issues - The board approved a measure to payoff old credit card debt. The county requires receipts in order to pay off items charged to credit cards. Without the receipt the charges accrue interest over time. This measure will allow for the lump sum payment of $16,000 to take care of old charges pending county approval.
10) Soil Samples - Study of soil stability around gymnasium approved. Two “cone penetration” tests will be conducted six months apart to determine degree of movement or instability around the gym. This information will be used to determine how best to deal with foundation issues with the gym.
11) Updated Computer Tech Job Descriptions - The board approved of changes made to job descriptions.

NEXT REGULAR BOARD MEETING: OCTOBER 11, 2018

Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - September 06, 2018

PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 8:06 pm
by sandman
blackturtle.us wrote:6) Public Comments - A total of twelve people spoke to the board. All but one shared concerns they had about the football program. The other person requested that the message “Please Don’t Trash Trona” be posted on the high school marquee. He explained that he is part of a group that keeps the bike path trash free and that it takes a lot of effort on their part to pick up all the trash left in that area.

At least one person had enough common sense to know what really matters.
The rest were caught up in stupid high school drama. :roll2:

Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - September 06, 2018

PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2018 7:16 am
by panamint_patty
Pole dancers perform for Kindergarteners at a private school in China :laugh:
What's the problem? It's like a back-to-school celebration and a career day presentation in one!

Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - September 06, 2018

PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2018 8:22 am
by surfsteve
I was prepared to be outraged but since the guy was fired I really don't see a problem unless the class is still going on. If pole dancing is such good exercise I wonder why firemen don't do it to stay in shape...

Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - September 06, 2018

PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2018 12:27 pm
by mrgreen
sandman wrote:
blackturtle.us wrote:6) Public Comments - A total of twelve people spoke to the board. All but one shared concerns they had about the football program. The other person requested that the message “Please Don’t Trash Trona” be posted on the high school marquee. He explained that he is part of a group that keeps the bike path trash free and that it takes a lot of effort on their part to pick up all the trash left in that area.

At least one person had enough common sense to know what really matters.
The rest were caught up in stupid high school drama. :roll2:

Sounds about right. Maybe one out of ten people in the general population is not a total dipshit!
:curse:

Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - September 06, 2018

PostPosted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 7:55 am
by shadylady
mrgreen wrote:
sandman wrote:
blackturtle.us wrote:6) Public Comments - A total of twelve people spoke to the board. All but one shared concerns they had about the football program. The other person requested that the message “Please Don’t Trash Trona” be posted on the high school marquee. He explained that he is part of a group that keeps the bike path trash free and that it takes a lot of effort on their part to pick up all the trash left in that area.

At least one person had enough common sense to know what really matters.
The rest were caught up in stupid high school drama. :roll2:

Sounds about right. Maybe one out of ten people in the general population is not a total dipshit!
:curse:

And that's a fairly optimistic estimate! :dizzy:

Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - September 06, 2018

PostPosted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 12:05 pm
by wildrose
blackturtle.us wrote:3) Trona Park Task Force - Lana McCullar and Don Holland (county representative) talked about the formation of a park on land owned by the school just south of the football field. The park will be under the jurisdiction of a private non-profit organization to be called Trona Park Task Force. (Approval of non-profit status pending.) The group will lease the land from the school district and they will deal with development and maintenance of the park.

This is a very positive move, but it'll be a lot of work. Hopefully, it gets off the ground and is successful!

Re: TJUSD Board Meeting - September 06, 2018

PostPosted: Mon Sep 10, 2018 6:13 am
by twister
Is the presence of a sheriff duputy normal? It must not be or why else would you mention it. All sorts of people mad because someone wasn't selected as a coach. Were there threats of violence or was it just one of those just in case kind of situations?

Re: Deputy Present

PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2018 7:29 am
by wildrose
twister: The presence of a deputy would not be normal at most school board meetings in most small towns. They must have been expecting someone to make a scene of some kind. Considering that it sounds like some kind of employment dispute was ongoing, having a deputy present probably would be a good idea!

Re: Deputy Present

PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 7:42 am
by tronagirl
wildrose and twister: I've heard that the situation has gotten worse. Not only did the Trona football team get walloped by Beatty last Friday, but several players and fans behaved in an unsportsmanlike fashion. They did an extremely poor job of representing our town and while there's no shame in losing a game, there's no excuse for thuggish behavior!