Other than people present for student awards, there were very few people present for this meeting which lasted about two hours. Highlights as follows:
1) All five board members plus the interim superintendent attended a small school district conference. Each shared something interesting they learned about while at the conference. A couple of these items included a presentation on teaching woodshop by making guitars, another presentation on streamlining board policies, as well as one on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) and another on community Wi-Fi systems.
2) Properly Qualified Coaches - After approving three assistant football coaches, board members discussed the extent to which all coaches are required to have proper first aid training and CIF certification. There was some uncertainty as to whether such training only applied to head coaches or if assistant coaches are also trained and certified.
3) COVID-19 Discussion - The high desert (including northern San Bernardino County, Inyo County, and Kern County) have had very few, if any, cases of coronavirus as of March 12, 2020. However, preparations are being made to ensure district preparedness for an outbreak. At this time all athletic trips and field trips have been cancelled and the situation will be assessed on a weekly basis. Students are being reminded to wash hands and use hand sanitizer to help minimize the spread of any germs.
4) Facility Updates and Projections - No plan is in place at this time to replace or repair the old high school. All grades are now housed at the “Round School” which was built in 1968. There are plenty of maintenance and repair issues at the “Round School” to be dealt with, but for next year it looks like all grades will continue to be housed at the “Round School.” The possibility of replacing or repairing the high school is being looked into with cost estimates ranging up to $22 million for modular buildings (nine classrooms, gymnasium, and multipurpose auditorium/cafeteria). There is much uncertainty about how much of this cost would be reimbursed by the state. At this point the district is waiting for the results of a soil stability study to help determine the feasibility of using the old high school site.
5) Modernization Funds - Somewhere around $2.8 million may be available for modernization of existing facilities. It may be possible to use this money to help with construction of new facilities or repair of old facilities. At any rate, all funding sources are being investigated to help pay for improvements and repair of district facilities.
6) Structural Engineer - A structural engineer will be inspecting district facilities in the near future. This is necessary to authorize approval by the state and/or county for any projects related to earthquake recovery.
7) Second Interim Financial Report - Two numbers were of particular interest. $1.1 million will be paid back to the state due to the charter school fiasco. Also, the projected balance at the end of the current financial cycle for the district after accounting for all currently planned spending will be $10.8 million. [This makes it hard for the district to qualify for Financial Hardship funds which would potentially pay for 100% of needed earthquake repairs. However, the district will still qualify for Facility Hardship funds which potentially pay for 50% of costs associated with earthquake recovery.]
8) Calendar for 2020/2021 School Year - Board discussed changes in structure of school year. Proposed calendar would place high school finals weeks prior to Winter Break for First Semester and late May for the Second Semester. There were some complaints about the timing of Homecoming.
NEXT REGULAR BOARD MEETING: April 9th