LAKEPORT ? New and incumbent board members took their oath of office at Thursday”s Lakeport Unified School District board meeting.
Dennis Darling, an incumbent, was elected president, Tom Powers was re-elected as clerk, and returning members Bob Weiss and Robyn Stevenson were sworn in, as well as new board member Phil Kirby. The board said good-bye to outgoing member Craig Kinser.
A crowd of about 20 attended, but no public comments were made throughout the meeting. Many were in attendance to honor outgoing educators Sandy Gray and Irma Lankford, who are retired.
“Sandy”s work ethic was really unsurpassed, her dedication to the district outweighed her thoughts to her own health,” Darling said. Gray was unable to attend to accept her plaque, but many in the audience cheered and clapped for her accomplishments.
“The district recently has lost some long-time employees, which is sad but I think it speaks well that people stay so long. Irma has been here for 24 years. She always had a smile, and her sense of humor is legendary. We are going to miss you too, a lot,” Darling said as Lankford accepted her plaque.
A key discussion for the board was the topic of a strained state budget. A representative for the Lakeport Unified Teacher”s Association (LUTA), Rob Alves, spoke on behalf of the organization. “With the legislative analysts announcing a $9 billion to $14 billion state deficit for next year, this is not exactly a ?yippee-ki-yay” time with the impending doom and fiscal reality that will affect the district?There has been a great deal of unhappiness, and going into the new year we will be worse off, they won”t be getting the same health coverage as before,” Alves said.
Darling replied that he appreciated the work of the union and sent Alves back to LUTA with a message, “We will continue with the bargaining agreements. We want it to be a group effort, and to make sure we keep communicating,” Darling said.
The business manager, Linda Slockbower, made a presentation on the first interim budget. She said there are reserves set aside in order for the district to handle what may come in the future as result of a state budget deficit. The budget has slashed funding for programs this year, and likely will again in 2008.
“We have a five percent reserve, it is for economic uncertainties. We”re still OK, we have a stable budget,” Slockbower said.
“The legislative analysts are predicting a large deficit. They are finding things they can pull back. Arts and P.E. [funding] might not survive. Hopefully they won”t cut our revenue and the budget supports our salaries?it doesn”t look too good, but we”ll hear what the governor has to say,” Slockbower said.
At the end of the meeting, the board decided to send representatives to meet with the Big Valley Rancheria to discuss alternative education plans they had previously mentioned to the board. “They wanted to get involved with the board to develop alternative education, and possibly a charter [school],” Darling said. “Robyn Stevenson will go to meet with them, along with Phil [Kirby] to find out what their agenda items are.”
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com.
