Spring 2008 Newsletter Espanol
2007-08 Board Meeting Dates PDF
Cambria Grammar School Awarded Distinguished School
Parents' Guide to the Information Superhighway PDF
Coast Unified School District Calendar 2007-08 PDF
Coast Unified School District Calendar 2008-09 PDF
Coast Unified School District Approved Technology Plan 2006-2009 PDF
Computer Acceptable Use Policy
Eliezer Williams, et al. v. State of California, et al.
SUMMARY OF NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT IN THE WILLIAMS v. STATE OF CALIFORNIA EDUCATION LAWSUIT
Williams v. State of California is a statewide class action lawsuit about California’s duty to provide every public school student with instructional materials, safe and decent school facilities, and qualified teachers. After four years of litigation, the parties in the case reached a Settlement Agreement on August 13, 2004. The Settlement Agreement provides for a package of legislative proposals designed to ensure that all students will have books in specified subjects and that their schools will be clean and in safe condition. The legislation also takes steps toward assuring that children have qualified teachers. The California legislature has already passed statutes implementing the settlement and the new laws will begin taking effect during the current school year. If the Court approves the settlement, some lawsuits brought over the next four years by students, parents, and teachers may be prohibited. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Peter J. Busch will decide whether to approve the settlement at a hearing in San Francisco on March 23, 2005 at 9 a.m. You may submit written comments to the Court regarding this settlement and you can appear in Court to testify at the hearing. You can find out more information about this class action and the March 23 court hearing and get a complete copy of plaintiffs’ Notice of Settlement and other related documents at http://www.decentschools.org or by calling the toll-free information line, 1-877-532-2533.
In November 2000, the voters of the State of California authorized an amendment to the California Constitution (Proposition 39) lowering the voter approval requirement from 2.3rds to 55 % for school districts that provide voters a specific list of projects, a committee of appointed citizens to oversee the expenditure of the funds and an annual performance audit and financial audit of the bond funds and bond projects.
Because the district elected to pursue a bond election under the provisions of Proposition 39, State law requires the District to establish a Citizens’ Oversight Committee appointed by the District’s Governing Board. The Committee purposes are:
Committee Duties
Duties of the Committee will include:
Future Meeting Dates:
Agenda -
District Citizens’ Oversight Committee
New Cambria Grammar School Administration Building
Monday, February 6, 2006
7:00 P.M.
NOTE: THE MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE NEW CAMBRIA GRAMMAR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION BUILDING. ALL MEMBERS SHOULD MEET AT THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING.
- Call To Order
- Roll Call of Members Present
- Approval of Minutes of November 14, 2005
- Committee Reports/Presentation
- Project Status Report
A. Construction Update
- Unfinished Business
- New Business
- Final Audit Report
- Approval of the Deferred Maintenance Five Year Plan
- Official Open House: Sunday, March 12, 2006
- Final Project Expenditure Report
- Disband the District Citizens’ Oversight Committee
- Adjournment
Minutes -
Minutes
Coast Unified School District
Citizen’s Oversight Committee Meeting
February 6 th, 2006
Call to Order: 7:00 pm
Board Members Present: Claude Albanese, Jim Cunningham, Paul Duston, John Jobling, Karen McManus,
James Rogers, Ron Walter
Alternates Present: Edward Simonsen and Thomas Sleeman
Administrators Present: Denis de Clercq, Sharon Henslin, and Dr. Pamela Martens
Community Members Present: Brad Silva of Moss, Levy &Hartzheim
I. Approval of Minutes
Minutes from November 14th, 2005 approved with no modifications.
Committee Reports/Presentations-NONE
- Project Status Report
- Construction Update
- With the big storm after Christmas, the rain filled the water holding system to capacity (approx. 1.7million gallons). The sod has been planted and the rest of the landscaping minus the front slope, is scheduled to be planted soon. The front slope will be planted sometime after April 15,to avoid any further erosion problems. The landscaping will not hold up the closure of the project.
- Due to some runoff issues in the lower wetland area, Diani installed some plastic pipe material to convey the runoff water to the county culvert.
- AJ Diani is still addressing the punch-list items, but the penalty phase was stopped on January 7 th, 2006.
- The retention account of $1.7million will not be released (per the school board’s instructions) until the pending legal issues with AJ Diani are resolved. Denis anticipates any claim against the District made by the contractor will occur before the end of February.
Unfinished Business-NONE
New Business
- Final Audit-presented by Brad Silva
- The final audit report stated that the records were clean and in compliance with state bond regulations and accounting standards.
- Thomas Sleeman asked about a $750.”Communication”fee. Sharon Henslin, the business manager for the District, reported that it is an annual fee collected by U.S. Bank who files bond paperwork annually on the District’s behalf. Mr. Sleeman would like it noted that this fee should have been taken originally from the general fund, as it will continue to do so in the future.
- The Oversight Committee approved the Final Audit unanimously.
- Deferred Maintenance Five Year Plan (see handout)
- The Oversight Committee approved the Deferred Maintenance Plan, of which we are in year 3, unanimously
Open House
- Dr. Martens announce the CGS open house is planned for Sunday, March 12 th, 2006 at 2:00pm. Cake and punch will be served and the community is invited.
- The Masons, who historically support educational programs, are also trying to plan a cornerstone event, date TBA.
VI. Final Project Expenditure Report
- See Handout
- The balance as of 1/27/06 is approx. $1.3 million dollars, of which pending bills will be paid out of, most notably the landscaping bills. The money has not been earmarked as of yet.
- Denis de Clercq is clarifying that all leftover state grant monies may be used for any capital outlay in the district. Worst case scenario, is that the monies will be restricted to DSA projects only, but in any case all of the excess will be use somehow for District school projects. The money will not revert back to the State.
- The Oversight Committee unanimously approved the final expenditure report.
Oversight Committee Disband
- Thomas Sleeman pointed out that the Committee may not disband until a final report has been issued. Denis de Clercq and Claude Albanese will get together and write the final report and present it to the School Board at their February 9 th meeting. A copy will then be submitted to the press for public announcement.
- The committee thanked Denis for his honesty and openness during the school building process. It appears that all information was shared completely.
- The Oversight Committee voted to disband unanimously, pending the issuance of the final report.
VI. Final Meeting Adjourned at 7:45pm
Secretary, Karen McManus
All meetings are scheduled to begin at 7 P.M. at the Santa Lucia Middle School Library.
Alternates
For more information call Denis de Clercq at 927-3693
Final Report Feb 2006
Coast Unified School District Citizen's Oversight Committee Final Report
2/9/2006
DCOC Members:
Denis de Clercq- CUSD Facilities Director
Claude Albanese - Chair
Karen Mc Manus - Secretary
Jon Jobling - Vice Chair
Jim Cunningham - Student Parent
James Rogers - Member -At-Large,
Ron Walter - Senior Citizen Group
Paul Duston - Business Organization
Edward Simonsen & Thomas Sleeman - Alternates
The DCOC was formed by school board action on May 30, 2002 and convened on September of 2002 for the purpose of monitoring the District's expenditure of revenues received from the sale of bonds authorized by the voters on March 5, 2002 to build a new grammar school.
DCOC Accomplishments:
Storm Water Retention systems
Day Lighting in Classrooms
Motion Sensor System
Heating & Ventilation Systems
Power Line Rerouting Implementation
The final meeting of the DCOC was held February 6, 2006. The committee finds that the Coast Unified School District has properly accounted for the expenditures of the Proposition 39/Measure B-02 General Obligation Bonds.
Respectfully submitted by,
Claude Albanese
DCOC Chair
In event of a storm please listen to one of the following for information on school closures: