California schools, while required to follow many statutory practices, also have a great deal of leeway in the form of "Local Control." No off-topic remarks. He said more students might move into the district that the board may not anticipate in the coming years. Candidates for the board of the West Sonoma County Union High School District include (clockwise from top left) Julie Aiello, Kyle O'Connor, Lynn Schallebaum Gleeson and Laurie Ann Fadave. November 2: Nemaha USD 115, Kansas & Mequon-Thiensville School District, Wisconsin, What's on my ballot? Analysis An effort to recall three of the five members of the West Sonoma County Union High School District board of trustees did not go to a vote in 2021. Board members approved consolidation in March. | To combine districts is to put more students into a count, which could mean some districts that once met thresholds for additional funding would no longer. OConnor said he wanted committees of board members, parents, teachers and administrators to research independently but still have as much transparency to the public as possible. This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone. Recall supporters had 120 days to collect signatures equal to 20% of registered voters in the school district, a total of 7,187 signatures. Long-term fiscal perspective to ensure students a rich educational experience and protect jobs even with unpredictability of state funding. [3] The effort against Noe and Fernandes did not collect enough signatures. I personally love the tradition of names and longevity and I honor that. Ive worked really hard for the last 15 years of my life in a position that is, for all intents and purposes, volunteer and have always dedicated my time to whats best for kids, and its just kind of heartbreaking to think that people really feel like I have bad intentions because thats not true at all, Noe said. There havent been any answers, Beal said. [6], Noe's and Fernandes' terms were scheduled to be up for election on November 8, 2022. But that has now been lost.. The school district is in financial distress as enrollment continues to falter and funds run dry, to the point that the board is examining feasibility studies on the possibility of consolidating Analy and El Molino High Schools into one campus or consolidating numerous west county school districts. Recall supporters submitted petitions by the deadline, but the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters found that only 3,084 signatures had been submitted, which ended the recall effort. Menu . Local Control requires a commitment to actively seeking and evaluating community stakeholder input. District Board President Patrick Nagle confirms Eric Hoppes stepped down Friday, six weeks after . Results were included in a staff report for Wednesdays meeting, and it did not break down the feedback based on whether a student was associated with Analy or El Molino. Tell me about it. The sunlight was just beginning to recede from the treetops in Forestville on a warm summer evening when Josh Nultemeier headed to quiet Pajaro Lane with a pen and three petition forms. Discussions between board members and the public about that idea and other possibilities to cut costs or increase revenue were from the outset full of passion, fear and anger. School districts | Beal acknowledged that talk of consolidation runs through many conversations as school districts in the area face ever-increasing financial pressure and steadily declining enrollment. 462 Johnson Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472. But it is a subject that crops up regularly in a county with 40 districts. Overall, our goals are to get the board to revote and not close El Molino High School [or] if they are going to choose to consolidate to do it in a thoughtful, longer term process," Hayes said. Please, let us be us. It would also require approval from voters. When Kellie Noe was a fresh-faced 28-year-old who had just been elected to the West Sonoma County Union High School District Board of Trustees in 2006, she had no children of her own and she and her husband Dennis Rosatti lived in Camp Meeker, part of the El Molino attendance area. Noe and Fernandes echoed similar sentiments. Its counterproductive.[7], Recall supporters issued notices of intent to recall all three board members on March 26, 2021. He said he understands Analy alumnis attachment to their schools name, but students were supposed to have a new start after the merger. community member, retired teacher Small Business Owner . UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: Analy and El Molino high schools merged earlier this year. Regardless of whether the recall is successful in west Sonoma County, the school district board is due for a shake-up with the November election. Citizens of west county have the opportunity this election season to vote for two new members of the West Sonoma County Union High School District (WSCUHSD . Two tax measures that would have provided bridge funding to help push off consolidation for at least a year both failed to garner a two-thirds majority in March. West Sonoma County Consortium7050 Covey Rd.Forestville, CA 95436Phone: 707-824-7911Fax: 707-634-7413rvelasquez@wscuhsd.org. Sign In. Another caller, who identified herself as a current sophomore, said reverting back to Analy would take away one last piece of identity among the former El Molino students. Heading into the 2020-2021 school year, the West Sonoma County Union High School District was facing a structural deficit of $1.2 million, which would surpass $2 million if. I do think its not a bad thing to ask the question: Is there a better way to deliver education? said Sebastopol Union Superintendent Linda Irving. Nultemeier, who has worked for the Forestville Fire Department for 32 years, graduated from El Molino in 1991. www.wscuhsd.org/o/laguna, Special Education/Behavioral Health Services, COVID-19 Prevention Program (CPP) November 2022, 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Yet, OConnor said he thinks the board needs to face the reality that budget cuts that reduce services might have to happen and that the board must consult the community or face conflict. Its seat of government and largest city is Santa Rosa. West Sonoma County Union High School District Next. West Sonoma County Union High School District is a school district in California . Aiello said she wants budget cuts to be made as a community decision where those impacted can express what they feel makes a school run effectively, rather than a top-down administrative decision. "Obviously it is a tough subject for anyone who has grown up around here, she said. [4], To get the recalls against Noe and Fernandes on the ballot, supporters had to submit 7,187 signatures from registered voters by August 28, 2021. On Twitter @ka_tornay. Budgets are increasingly stretched and enrollment is falling across the county. State and local courts | www.wscuhsd.org/o/analy, Laguna High School (9-12, Continuation) For each of your districts you have probably two unions representing classified staff and certificated (teachers), she said. Milan Mimi Buttke, a Forestville resident and one of the lead organizers, said the group is aiming to collect closer to 9,000 signatures to ensure they have enough to qualify. West Sonoma County Union High School District. Opponents contended the spot should have been filled by someone who represents rural western Sonoma County. Whats worse, an opportunity to bring the community together by empowering a rural voice on the Board was missed. In addition, she wants to promote a drive to increase enrollment with the three schools diverse programming as a draw for youth looking for an alternative education. Incoming Area 5 Trustee, West Sonoma County Union High School District Serving alongside Debbie for 9 years on the SUSD Board, I witnessed firsthand how Debbie's dedication to serving as a trustee and commitment to the community through understanding the issues, asking pertinent questions, and respecting and listening to all stakeholders made . Board Agendas COVID-19 Information . 2023 Elections . As a classroom nurse, she worked with schools and families on education plans for students. Based on that report then we can, and other districts can, decide if they want to do anything about it. West Sonoma County Union High School District measure to levy $48.00 per parcel annually for three years be adopted, raising $1,150,000 . Menu . Aiello wants to explore what cuts could be made temporarily instead of permanently and to inform the community of those possibilities. Ballotpedia tracked 92 school board recall efforts against 237 board members in 2021. Though formerly Analy and El Molino students will enter school on Aug. 12 incorporated under the temporary shared name of West County High School, these residents are hopeful the consolidation may itself only be transitory, too. | Forgot Password? This is not where we want to be.. Candidates for the board of the West Sonoma County Union High School District include (clockwise from top left) Julie Aiello, Kyle OConnor, Lynn Schallebaum Gleeson and Laurie Ann Fadave. When students and school staff feel safe and respected, engagement grows and learning is improved. My name is Josh, and Im out here collecting signatures for the recall against the board members who voted to close our high school.. State executives | Ferdinandson started at the district in 2000 as an English teacher and in 2021 became principal of the school, which had just been renamed West County High School in an attempt to rebrand it after its merger with El Molino High School. To be clear, a feasibility study does not obligate anyone to consolidate, it doesnt obligate anyone to unify, West County Union High School District Superintendent Toni Beal said Wednesday. You can reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8531 or alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. West Sonoma County Union High School District's board of trustees voted 4-1 Wednesday night to no longer consider rebranding West County High School, which was supposed to be a temporary name . The school board interviewed all three men in a round-robin format, asking the same five questions to each. Here is a list of the districts involved in the study, their enrollment and percentage of students who qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch. Both of the tax measures failed when they did not reach the required two-thirds majority approval from voters. Sonoma County (/ s n o m / ()) is a county located in the U.S. state of California.As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. She assisted with communicable disease follow-ups then, and now has concerns about the quality of distance education and containing COVID-19 transmission when schools reopen, her paid candidate statement said. I need to focus on my family, focus on my kids and this has been very emotional and hard for all of us.. Phone: 707-824-6403, Fax: 707-823-2629. West Sonoma County Union High School District . I thought that was probably a good place for me to contribute.. Learning is a transformative experience. The chart below details the status of 2021 recall efforts by individual school board member. May 18: Idaho Falls School District 91 recall, Idaho (Lara Hill) & Nampa School District, Idaho (Kim Rost) How to run for office | Have a question that starts with, Whats the deal with? Lets figure it out together. But I think that on a school board, its important to have a teachers point of view, she said. click here to see full list of endorsements. The county office has $65,000 budgeted for such studies, he said. September 14: Loup City Public Schools, Nebraska West Sonoma County Consortium News Sonoma Community Advistory Commitee In Person and Virtual En Persona y Virtual Tuesday April 25th 2023 6:00-8:00 pm 5860 Labath Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Zoom Link: https://sonomacoe.zoom.us/j/87354155941 . . But what may not be apparent in the study, those same officials said, are loyalties and connections forged over generations in some of the smaller districts. An effort to recall three of the five members of the West Sonoma County Union High School District board of trustees did not go to a vote in 2021. The West County name has not brought together our community, she said. The quicker we can get them out of their seats, the better.. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. Its counterproductive.. But another motivation exists, Ame Nultemeier said: to let the school board members know the community is dissatisfied with their decisions, and that the voters are willing to do something about it. Even then, talks about the district budget were tense, Noe said. I understand the west county, I never left the west county other than when I was in the military, he said. Over the years we have done a lot to maintain the two-school model, Noe said, including funding a marketing position to try to attract more students first to El Molino, which was experiencing the bigger enrollment decline, and then the district as a whole. Board members Julie Aiello and Angie Lewis voted against it, and the motion passed in a 3-2 vote. [1][2] Fadave resigned in July 2021, citing personal reasons. Opponents filed a lawsuit in April to stop consolidation, but a Sonoma County Superior Court judge ruled they did not meet a 35-day window to file legal challenges or successfully argue why the school district hadnt followed the law in implementing consolidation. But we also look to local schools to do much more than teach children; they are tasked with feeding them, socializing them and offering skills in leadership and civics. Because the whole educational scenario has changed so drastically because of COVID.. Nagle, who spent six years growing up in county-provided housing in Gualala while his father worked for the Sonoma Sheriffs Office, said he can relate to the perspectives of residents in far west county, despite living in Sebastopol now. Heading into the 2020-2021 school year, the West Sonoma County Union High School District was facing a structural deficit of $1.2 million, which would surpass $2 million if unchecked by the 2022-2023 school year. For many districts, salary and benefits packages can account for between 80% and 85% of a districts budget. We will remove any comments or commenters that do not follow this commenting policy. Im not one to evade or talk around it, he said. Not only that, I think the study should look at what salary schedule you are putting all these new folks on. I am saddened, however, by the hostile and negative statements that have been directed at board members. The school board is in the process of moving from an at-large model to a by-trustee area composition and is working with a demographer to determine boundary lines in the coming months. Unified districts provide K-12 education. EDITORS NOTE: This story has been updated to correct the date Nagles term on the school board expires. Youre just helping to put it on a ballot so we can vote on it.. West Sonoma County High School District Board President Kellie Noe conceded she was disappointed with the process and said it only left the community more divided. The pandemic has really underscored the extent to which public schools are more than just education institutions, Flint said. So, I have training in how to read a budget, and I understand it. EMAILS can be sent to: JEANNE FERNANDES, President, Board of Trustees jfernandes@wscuhsd.org Each community that has a high school will get the additional changes of either reduced student presence OR - increased traffic. Several residents of the far west county, including Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, expressed discomfort and anger about Nagles appointment, citing the fact that all other board members are also from the Sebastopol area and stating Nagle supported the controversial consolidation of Analy and El Molino high schools last year. EAST SIDE UNION HIGH SANTA CLARA SFP - Charter MISC 54/69427-00-005 EAST SIDE UNION HIGH SANTA CLARA SFP - Charter MISC . Within 14 days of that certification, the school board would be required to issue an order of election, which would include setting a date for the election within 88 to 125 days. Board members Kellie Noe, Jeanne Fernandes, and Laurie Fadave were named in the notices of intent to recall. Board members said they chose to close a school to offer more programs on the consolidated campus. It makes our school day a little bit longer art, science, physical education, acting, music a variety of different things where we have incredibly highly trained specialists. Elliott, who was Analys vice principal since 2019, will start as Apple Blossom Elementary Schools new principal on July 1 in the Twin Hills Union School District in Sebastopol, said their Superintendent Anna-Maria Guzman. Public policy. William Olzman, a former El Molino and Analy teacher, also applied. Measure A proposes a special tax of $48 annually per parcel for each parcel of land within the District's boundaries. Ame Nultemeier said she doesnt fully believe that the two most senior members of the school board will leave at the end of their terms. (707) 824-6485 | Fax: (707) 829-7910 School officials proposed consolidation last fall as a potential solution to a $1.2 million annual structural budget deficit. Rialto Theater raises more than $78,000 through GoFundMe, Measure DD, a transportation measure, is one of several tax questions on the Nov. 3 ballot. Debbie Ramirez for Trustee, West County High School District click here to see full list of endorsements My Priorities (click to expand) Student Success School Climate & Equity Fiscal Responsibility My Qualifications & Strategies Experience Engagement Passion for Public Education Make a Donation Thank you for your support! The Sebastopol school has 1,466 students enrolled this year, according to the California Department of Education. She said as a board member, she would want to go through the budget line by line to unearth the details of more vague areas of the budget where a difference could be made to uphold the priorities of teachers, parents and students. However, I think the perception of equal representation is important as well.. Opponents also targeted board member Laurie Fadave, who voted for the consolidation, but she resigned in July for reasons unrelated to the consolidation, she said. We said so many times, If you could just work with your community and find solutions together and create a budget that works for all of us, we would drop everything, she said. The West County high school district includes Analy, El Molino and Laguna high schools and has an enrollment of approximately 1,700 students. Districtwide, the student population fell nearly 12% over the past five years and about 32% since 1981. Learning is a transformative experience. 2020-21 Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan for West Sonoma County Union High School District Page 3 of 24 [A description of the options provided for remote participation in public meetings and public hearings.] The vote acts on discussion that was ongoing last spring but has been part of the educational debate for decades in the county, which has 40 individual school districts for fewer than 70,000 school children. The West Sonoma County Union High School District (WSCUHSD) will have two seats open in November. Ethically, its probably been harder for me than anybody else on the board, she said. Menu . I question the savings if you do that.. (707) 824-2300 | Fax: (707) 827-7936 462 Johnson Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472 15th Annual Sonoma County Transition Fair, Notice of Public Hearing - Wed, June 15th 5:00 pm, MAP OPTIONS FOR CVRA TRANSITION FROM AT-LARGE TO BY-TRUSTEE AREA ELECTIONS, New System of Electing Governing Board Members, West Sonoma County Union High School District. On Twitter @benefield, Have a story that is wild, wacky, bizarre or beautiful? I wish things were different with school funding and we were in a different position and the reality is the states not giving us money.[1], Ethically, its probably been harder for me than anybody else on the board, Fernandes, a graduate of Analy High School, said about her vote to consolidate the schools. Community members opposed the move over concerns about equity and impacts to students from rural communities along the Russian River. www.wscuhsd.org, Analy High School (9-12) Board Agendas COVID-19 Information . You are going to have to take into consideration 20 different agreements. If more than one existing trustee winds up in the same zone, they may have to run again for control of the seat. Many of them are over issues related to the pandemic, such as school closures and reopenings. This would be the first local consolidation study undertaken since the state in 2013 adopted its Local Control Funding Formula model of doling out funds to schools. One of his main concerns was that people would form factions of administration, teachers, unions, parents and students, and refuse to work together. I feel like I need to do everything I can to make sure they dont control our futures any longer, she said. Several Far West County residents, including Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, expressed unease and anger over Nagle's appointment, citing that all other board members are also from the area. 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