SPUSD board learns of various school site priorities
November 27, 2013
By Brian D. Wilson
Santa Paula News
By Brian D. Wilson
Santa Paula Times
Since the unification of the two Santa Paula school districts the new unified district has been gathering the various needs and priorities of the school sites.
District trustees got an updated report at last week’s regular board meeting. Work began in September to look at for areas of need: Site, Technology, Program and Staffing. Principals and administrators were asked to work with staff, parents and community to brainstorm ideas of needs for the next one or two years, District staff met with each principal to review the site priorities lists and conduct site visits.
Assistant Superintendent Donna Rose told the board that there were common threads that surfaced in the process. Under the Site category, security, safety and comfort were common themes. Most schools included requests to look at solutions for high temperature days. They also would like to look at playground upgrades, exterior renovations, multipurpose rooms and adding classrooms or labs to their sites.
Under Technology the sites said increasing technology is a concern; more computers, labs, interactive boards and one-to-one initiatives (iPads or tablets) with a district plan to fund this need was common.
The area of Program the most significant ideas included the common core curriculum and professional development. Under the staffing category the sites listed such things as counselors, outreach and additional clerical support. They also see a need for increasing custodial, maintenance, school resource officers, additional security staff and technology staff.
In other matters the board heard reports on the need for an office assistant in the district office, as well as a employee risk and safety assistant. They also approved the establishment of a Special Day Class at Santa Paula High School and voted 4-1 to establish two locker room attendant positions at the high school.
