BOS/BOE Meeting on Prop H
An important meeting to consider a resolution which could end up depriving our schools of at least $2.5 million a year in Prop H funds is happening this week, Thursday April 12, at 3:30 in the Board Chamber at City Hall. Pretty inconvenient time for any parent, working or not, to show up and give public comment; however, you can make your feelings known by e-mailing the BOS and BOE. Here is a link to the Meeting Agenda.(PDF)
Many parents and concerned citizens/voters have made their feelings known to both the BOE and BOS in recent days. Thanks to all of you who spoke up, some of our elected officials have seen the light and are now supporting the inclusion of the word "new" into the resolution. This will NOT happen at tomorrow's meeting, as that committee does not have the power to amend the resolution; all they can do is discuss it, and (we hope) send back to the full BOE a recommendation to pass an amended version which would include the word "new".
The last time this resolution was considered, at a BOE budget committee meeting a few weeks ago, a dozen members of the public, including several on the Prop H committee, showed up to give comment, and they all said the same thing - "Any in kind services should be NEW services, not existing services." Nonetheless, the three members of the budget committee (Yee, Maufas, and Kim) could not agree to insert the word "new" into the resolution, and in the end decided to send the resolution to the joint BOS/BOE committee, which is meeting this Thursday.
After tomorrow's meeting, the next step for the resolution will be a return to the BOE budget committee meeting on Tuesday April 17th, 5:30 at 555 Franklin Street (in the board room.) This committee DOES have the power to amend the reso, and it is hoped that this time around, they will see their way clear to doing so. Jane Kim, who voted against adding the word "new" at the March budget committee meeting, has changed her position and is now sending out a form response to those who contact her, saying she supports making all in kind services "new" services. Kim-Shree Maufas seemed inclined to vote in favor of adding "new" last time around, and Norman Yee also thought it was a good idea in March until Jane Kim spoke against it, at which point he changed his mind and voted against his own motion to add the word "new." Let's hope that this time, all three of them will remember that their job is to get the best possible deal for the students of this district, not to try to appease the Board of Supervisors, or try to balance the City's budget on the backs of our kids.
And just in case anyone thinks that this issue is about to be resolved, please be aware that there is still much discussion to be had on the subject of what "new" means. If they are thwarted in their attempt to include services which the City has provided for years as "in kind" services, the bean counters from the City Controller's office will no doubt try to claim "new" status for ANYTHING the City has provided to the schools since 2004 when Prop H passed. That would include expansion of or cost increases for projects and services which the City began funding long before 2004. For example, City- funded health centers at district schools go back at least 20 years to when the Teen Clinic opened at Balboa HS. More recently the City has been opening health centers at all high schools, with the final few set to open next year. This is not a "new" in kind service, but rather the completion of a project begun over 20 years ago, and should not be counted as "new." Look for more hair splitting on this issue before it is finally resolved.
For the complete story, plus an easy to copy e-mail and all the addresses you need to weigh in on this in under one minute, please visit the PASA website for more information
This message was originally posted to the sfschools list by Nestwife
Many parents and concerned citizens/voters have made their feelings known to both the BOE and BOS in recent days. Thanks to all of you who spoke up, some of our elected officials have seen the light and are now supporting the inclusion of the word "new" into the resolution. This will NOT happen at tomorrow's meeting, as that committee does not have the power to amend the resolution; all they can do is discuss it, and (we hope) send back to the full BOE a recommendation to pass an amended version which would include the word "new".
The last time this resolution was considered, at a BOE budget committee meeting a few weeks ago, a dozen members of the public, including several on the Prop H committee, showed up to give comment, and they all said the same thing - "Any in kind services should be NEW services, not existing services." Nonetheless, the three members of the budget committee (Yee, Maufas, and Kim) could not agree to insert the word "new" into the resolution, and in the end decided to send the resolution to the joint BOS/BOE committee, which is meeting this Thursday.
After tomorrow's meeting, the next step for the resolution will be a return to the BOE budget committee meeting on Tuesday April 17th, 5:30 at 555 Franklin Street (in the board room.) This committee DOES have the power to amend the reso, and it is hoped that this time around, they will see their way clear to doing so. Jane Kim, who voted against adding the word "new" at the March budget committee meeting, has changed her position and is now sending out a form response to those who contact her, saying she supports making all in kind services "new" services. Kim-Shree Maufas seemed inclined to vote in favor of adding "new" last time around, and Norman Yee also thought it was a good idea in March until Jane Kim spoke against it, at which point he changed his mind and voted against his own motion to add the word "new." Let's hope that this time, all three of them will remember that their job is to get the best possible deal for the students of this district, not to try to appease the Board of Supervisors, or try to balance the City's budget on the backs of our kids.
And just in case anyone thinks that this issue is about to be resolved, please be aware that there is still much discussion to be had on the subject of what "new" means. If they are thwarted in their attempt to include services which the City has provided for years as "in kind" services, the bean counters from the City Controller's office will no doubt try to claim "new" status for ANYTHING the City has provided to the schools since 2004 when Prop H passed. That would include expansion of or cost increases for projects and services which the City began funding long before 2004. For example, City- funded health centers at district schools go back at least 20 years to when the Teen Clinic opened at Balboa HS. More recently the City has been opening health centers at all high schools, with the final few set to open next year. This is not a "new" in kind service, but rather the completion of a project begun over 20 years ago, and should not be counted as "new." Look for more hair splitting on this issue before it is finally resolved.
For the complete story, plus an easy to copy e-mail and all the addresses you need to weigh in on this in under one minute, please visit the PASA website for more information
This message was originally posted to the sfschools list by Nestwife
Labels: Enrollment, SFUSD Politics
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