FAIRFIELD— “Of course, we do not want our school to close. No one does,” one mom from Oakbrook Elementary School said, during the school board meeting on Thursday.
She echoed the feelings of everyone there, as the Fairfield-Suisun School Board had the tough decision to close two district schools, helping with the big picture of a $6.5 million deficit.
via Fairfield-Suisun School Board Rules to Close Sullivan Middle School.
Sue Kinder, Teacher at Green Valley Middle School
American Canyon
I wonder if the Fairfield-Suisun school board’s and the district office’s timing of school closures is to place pressure on the negotiations for teachers to take another cut in pay. Or, is the timing to alert parents of the need for the November Tax vote? Or, is the timing to stress out students (and teachers) days prior to their California Standards Test?
By David Ryan
In a set of five multi-faceted options — attached as a PDF on the right — school district officials are set to present the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District Governing Board of Trustees with the possibility of school closure plans that could affect thousands of parents across Farfield and Suisun.
via Dan O. Root and Suisun Elementary Schools On Closure List.
An unusually divided Vallejo school board voted Wednesday night to cut more than 90 classified positions.
“I’m going to take my vote to the state and say, ‘no,'” said Raymond Victor Mommsen, who along with board President Adrienne Waterman cast the dissenting votes in a 3 to 2 roll call.
via Vallejo school board cuts bus drivers, trash truck drivers in ….
FAIRFIELD (8:37 p.m.) — The Fairfield-Suisun school board has a list of five options with a total of seven different schools to work from when it decides Thursday which elementary and middle school to close next year.
The Superintendent’s Office on Wednesday released the school closure options in advance of Thursday’s 4 p.m. study session and 6 p.m. meeting. Officials will explain how they came up with the options at the study session and the board will take public comment, discuss and possibly vote on one of the options.
via Fairfield-Suisun district releases 2012-13 school closure options.
FAIRFIELD — The school district’s two largest unions plan to meet Wednesday with the district’s contract negotiation team, a day before the Fairfield-Suisun School Board is scheduled to vote on closing two yet-to-be-named schools.
Officials plan to meet with the California School Employees Association in the morning and the Fairfield-Suisun Unified Teachers Association in the afternoon behind closed doors.
Benicia High School Principal Gary Jensen has fans and detractors. Among his fans are the many parents and teachers who have created web sites and gone to school board meetings to support him. Those supporting Jensen are tired of the seeming revolving door to the principal’s office at Benicia high where there have been seven principals in the past 11 years and they like his decisiveness.
via Grade the Public Official: Benicia High Principal Gary Jensen.
FAIRFIELD — It should be known by Thursday which elementary and middle school in Fairfield-Suisun will shut its doors beginning next school year.
Superintendent Jacki Cottingim-Dias will present recommendations and options to the school board at a meeting that night at 6 p.m. at district headquarters, 2490 Hilborn Road.
By Keri Luiz, Assistant Editor
The public comment portion of the Benicia Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting Thursday was lengthy, filled with teachers from the district pleading their case for a long-delayed raise.
“To say that we were stunned by the non-proposal we received last week would be an understatement,” said Deborah Casey, a math instructor at Benicia Middle School and bargaining chair for the Benicia Teachers’ Association.
VACAVILLE — It was like preaching to the choir Tuesday night.
The majority of the 13 people who showed up to a Vacaville School District budget meeting were the familiar faces of board members, district employees or newspaper reporters. A teacher and three residents, at least two of them parents, were the only outsiders at a meeting designed to attract residents and parents for input on the budget.
via Small turnout for Vacaville school budget community meeting.
By Keri Luiz, Assistant Editor
A highlight of Thursday night’s meeting of the Benicia Unified School District Board of Trustees will be a bit of good news, as board members single out for praise two district employees.
Benicia High School drama and dance teacher Christina Mani will receive an award for Certificated Employee of the Year, and Charles Schauer will be recognized as Classified Employee of the Year, said Janice Adams, superintendent of Benicia schools.
The Vallejo school board has approved an agreement with the city of Vallejo that will, at last, lead to a park in the Hiddenbrooke area.
via Long-awaited Vallejo park moves forward, delighting Hiddenbrooke ….
Benicia High School could see a new advanced placement class next year.
The Benicia school board is scheduled to hear a proposal for AP Psychology on Thursday night.
via Trustees to consider new advanced psychology class for Benicia ….
VACAVILLE — If you have anything to say about the Vacaville school budget, now is the time.
The Vacaville School District is having its first of two budget workshops Tuesday to gather feedback from residents as it moves ahead with a plan to close next year’s deficit.
Earl D. Olson, Fairfield
The Fairfield-Suisun School District, the superintendent and the district administrators have been diligent in their quest to solve the budget crisis by considering the well-publicized Plan A and Plan B. The school board has no problem sending pink slips to the teaching staff, but we never hear of them cutting the district administrative staff or questioning the need to have so many of them.
VACAVILLE — High school students in Vacaville could one day graduate with two degrees: a high school diploma and an associate degree.
via Vacaville school board discusses new middle college high.
by Heather Ah San
FAIRFIELD — Two Solano Community College faculty members will keep their jobs in the coming year.
The district’s governing board voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a resolution to rescind its previous decision to make the layoffs.
via Solano college board votes to rescind layoffs of 2 faculty members.
The Benicia school board will be asked Thursday to approve transitional kindergarten.
While supportive of the new grade that comes before traditional kindergarten, Superintendent Janice Adams had expressed reluctance at implementing the program due to the mixed-messages being sent from the state about its necessity or funding.
By Keri Luiz, Assistant Editor
What is the driving purpose of the Benicia Unified School District Governing Board of Trustees? What, exactly, is its mission?
Superintendent Janice Adams said Tuesday she asked the board to review its current mission statement — which hasn’t been updated in more than a decade — as part of the district’s comprehensive review of its Strategic Plan.
via In series of meetings, board looks to define mission, plan.
ROCKVILLE — Two Solano Community College faculty members won’t lose their jobs after all.
The college district’s governing board at its meeting Wednesday is expected to rescind layoff notices sent to the faculty members. The notices were issued after a board vote March 7 that came in response to a midyear cut in funding of $1.2 million and an anticipated $4.8 million deficit for next year.
via Solano college board to rescind layoff notices to 2 faculty members.