This is part two of Laura McCutcheon’s roundup of school
news for 2010.
The year 2010 for schools was fiscally challenging to say the
least, when in West County — and across the state — districts were
faced with billions of dollars in proposed cuts.
Two local schools were forced to close due to a lack of
operating funds, educators and other school staff were seduced with
early retirement incentives and there were others who either lost
their jobs altogether, or took cuts in hours or pay.
Three local school districts asked voters to support them by way
of school bond measures, and all three got what they asked for in
November, when constituents came through for their schools.
Through it all, and most importantly, young people continued to
get an education thanks to the combined efforts of district and
school site administrators, board trustees, staff educators,
volunteers and support from community members.
August:
• West County schools were back in session following summer
vacation. In response to the state budget crisis, the 2010 school
year had five less school days on the student calendar and teachers
and staff took pay cuts with their work hours/days reduced.
• The filing deadline to run in the November election came and
went. The only contested election in West County schools was at
Forestville Union School District where five candidates vied for
three seats on the school board.
• Russian River Charter School officially became a thing of the
past on Aug. 15, when the last employee worked her last day there.
The Forestville-based charter school closed in June after its
eighth annual graduation ceremony, due to a lack of operating
funds, following a discrepancy with the state. One employee stayed
on over the summer to tie up loose ends related to students’
records, transcripts and things of that nature.
September:
• El Molino High School’s API scores were thrown out on
technicality. The California Department of Education informed El
Molino High School that all of its Academic Index Performance
scores were disqualified, due to a teacher incorrectly
administering a small portion of the Standardized Testing and
Reporting program exams last spring.
• El Molino viticulture class got a hands-on lesson in grape
picking during the 2010 harvest. After all the grapes were dumped
into large bins — and students sorted through the mix, and removed
leaves, shoots and things of that nature — they were trucked off to
Dumal Winery, where winemaker Andy Smith would make wine for the
Bohemian Club, which purchased the grapes.
October:
• A person or person’s vandalized El Molino High School over the
weekend of Oct. 23 and 24, by spray-painting racial slurs on
numerous classroom windows and doors. “Jew” was written on one of
the classroom windows — along with a picture of a swastika — and
“faggot” was written on the door of another classroom.
November:
• About a week after El Molino was vandalized, a second
vandalism occurred in the school parking lot. Someone broke out the
window of a GMC pickup truck, and also put a dent in it. The truck
belongs to a high school football coach, and was likely parked
there during a game.
• All three of the West County school districts with bond
measures on the November ballot got what they asked for.
The school bonds measures needed a 55 percent yes vote to
pass.
West Sonoma County Union High School District’s Measure I passed
11,633 votes to 6,018 votes; Forestville Union School District’s
Measure K passed 1,594 votes to 848 votes; and Twin Hills Union
School District’s Measure M passed 1,468 votes to 857 votes.
• November’s Gravenstein Union School District’s board agenda
included an item to discuss asking the attorney general to hold a
special recall election to remove a member, but Matthew Heath
instead mailed his letter of resignation to Carl Wong and
Superintendent Linda LaMarre a day before the scheduled
meeting.
• The Sebastopol Union School District board voted unanimously
to close Pine Crest Elementary School at its Nov. 18 meeting. The
nearly three-hour discussion centered on the budget crisis that led
to the decision, and the district’s organizational plans for the
remaining schools. The district is comprised of two K-5 elementary
schools —Park Side and Pine Crest schools — and Brook Haven middle
school.
December:
• The Sebastopol Union School District held a community forum to
get input regarding the closure of Pine Crest Elementary School.
About 100 people attended. Some parents shed tears and a few
educators roused some laughter at the emotional but tame
gathering.
• At a board meeting held a week after the SUSD’s community
forum, it was announced that Pine Crest students and the multi-age
program currently used at their elementary school will be moved
onto the Brook Haven campus at the beginning of the next school
year.
The merge will turn Brook Haven — currently serving
sixth-through-eighth-grade students — into a K-8 school, with
combination classrooms at the lower grade levels.
