School Board Notes 5.8.07
School Board Notes 5.8.07
By Nicole Achs Freeling
GreatSchools.net Correspondent
The district will designate 20 percent of its property as surplus and lease or sell it to third parties in response to declining enrollment, the school board decided at its meeting Tuesday.
Decades of declining enrollment have left the district with more property than it needs at the same time it is struggling to meet budget shortfalls, according to members of the board and staff. In an effort to turn shuttered school buildings and unused grounds into cash for the district, the board unanimously passed a resolution that adopts guidelines — put together by a citizen's advisory committee — for putting properties up for sale or lease. The district would especially support use for affordable housing, teacher housing and child care facilities.
The resolution named a number of properties to be deemed surplus. These are:
A number of citizens protested the designation of the 7th and Lawton lot as surplus, saying it is actually open space and was deeded to the city with the requirement that it remain so.
"Designating this as surplus property is the first step toward making a property that was designated open space and turning it into something that is not," said local resident Jeremy Friedlander. The spot houses an annual pumpkin patch and Christmas tree farm and is used as "an ad hoc park by the community," according to another resident. "This is part of a corridor of very interesting open space. It's an ideal location to educate kids about the natural world, maybe have a garden where they could grow their own vegetables or natural plants," he said.
Goldin confirmed there is a deed restriction on the property, which was given to the district by the city in property swap years ago that could "make it difficult to sell to a developer." Board members appeared to believe, however, that a use in line with its designation or some way to remove the restriction could be found.
Goldin also underscored that sale or lease of any single piece of property, even that deemed surplus, would still have to come before the board for public testimony and a vote.
Guadalupe School Pleads to Save Computer Lab
Dozens of families from Guadalupe Elementary School turned out to press school officials not to close the school's computer lab. The school serves mostly underprivileged families, including low-income African-American and Latino students.
Many of the seats in the audience were filled with squirming elementary schoolers holding handmade signs. The school recently learned it would have to close its computer lab to accommodate over-enrollment in the 4th and 5th grade, parent Terry Factora told the board. She presented a petition with 200 signatures asking the board for a bungalow. "We are a school that is succeeding," she said, noting improved test scores. At the same time, she said, the school has historically been given few resources from the district. "With our speech therapist working out of a closet and our behavioral specialist working out of an old bathroom, now our kids are expected to go without a valuable resource."
Board President Mark Sanchez, who has often stressed his commitment to under-served communities, put the item on the agenda for the next Buildings & Grounds Committee meeting, May 29. At the behest of Sanchez and Commissioner Eric Mar, Chan said she would look into that case and any other schools that came to the district with a similar complaint.
District Makes Offer for Tech Worker Raise
After years of having no contract with the union governing IT staff and technical workers, the district adopted an initial proposal including an annual increase in pay and benefits of a total of $700,000 to $800,000 going forward and a lump sum payment of $2.2 million this year. The agreement, which encompasses "a retroactive component longer than almost any other contract we've seen," according to Chief of Policy and Planning Myong Leigh. It includes retroactive salary increases of 3 percent for 2000-01; 2.5 percent for 2001-02; 2 percent for 2006; and 9.5 percent for 2007. In exchange, members will pay the full share of their retirement costs starting this May.
This year's chunk will come from district reserves, with future increases coming out of the district's operating budget.
By Nicole Achs Freeling
GreatSchools.net Correspondent
- District Declares Surplus Property
- Guadalupe School Pleads to Save Computer Lab
- District Makes Offer for Tech Workers Raise
The district will designate 20 percent of its property as surplus and lease or sell it to third parties in response to declining enrollment, the school board decided at its meeting Tuesday.
Decades of declining enrollment have left the district with more property than it needs at the same time it is struggling to meet budget shortfalls, according to members of the board and staff. In an effort to turn shuttered school buildings and unused grounds into cash for the district, the board unanimously passed a resolution that adopts guidelines — put together by a citizen's advisory committee — for putting properties up for sale or lease. The district would especially support use for affordable housing, teacher housing and child care facilities.
The resolution named a number of properties to be deemed surplus. These are:
- Children's Center Administrative Building at 20 Cook St.
- Florence Martin Children's Center at 1155 Page St.
- Vacant land at 1101 Connecticut St.
- The 7th Avenue parking lot at 1350 7th Ave.
- Louise Lombard High School (currently vacant) at 700 Font St.
- The former Phoenix High School site at 1950 Mission St.
- The former Newcomer High School site at 2340 Jackson St.
- Vacant land at 7th Avenue and Lawton
- A parking garage at 1340 Bush St.
- The Golden Gate Annex at 1513 Ave.
A number of citizens protested the designation of the 7th and Lawton lot as surplus, saying it is actually open space and was deeded to the city with the requirement that it remain so.
"Designating this as surplus property is the first step toward making a property that was designated open space and turning it into something that is not," said local resident Jeremy Friedlander. The spot houses an annual pumpkin patch and Christmas tree farm and is used as "an ad hoc park by the community," according to another resident. "This is part of a corridor of very interesting open space. It's an ideal location to educate kids about the natural world, maybe have a garden where they could grow their own vegetables or natural plants," he said.
Goldin confirmed there is a deed restriction on the property, which was given to the district by the city in property swap years ago that could "make it difficult to sell to a developer." Board members appeared to believe, however, that a use in line with its designation or some way to remove the restriction could be found.
Goldin also underscored that sale or lease of any single piece of property, even that deemed surplus, would still have to come before the board for public testimony and a vote.
Guadalupe School Pleads to Save Computer Lab
Dozens of families from Guadalupe Elementary School turned out to press school officials not to close the school's computer lab. The school serves mostly underprivileged families, including low-income African-American and Latino students.
Many of the seats in the audience were filled with squirming elementary schoolers holding handmade signs. The school recently learned it would have to close its computer lab to accommodate over-enrollment in the 4th and 5th grade, parent Terry Factora told the board. She presented a petition with 200 signatures asking the board for a bungalow. "We are a school that is succeeding," she said, noting improved test scores. At the same time, she said, the school has historically been given few resources from the district. "With our speech therapist working out of a closet and our behavioral specialist working out of an old bathroom, now our kids are expected to go without a valuable resource."
Board President Mark Sanchez, who has often stressed his commitment to under-served communities, put the item on the agenda for the next Buildings & Grounds Committee meeting, May 29. At the behest of Sanchez and Commissioner Eric Mar, Chan said she would look into that case and any other schools that came to the district with a similar complaint.
District Makes Offer for Tech Worker Raise
After years of having no contract with the union governing IT staff and technical workers, the district adopted an initial proposal including an annual increase in pay and benefits of a total of $700,000 to $800,000 going forward and a lump sum payment of $2.2 million this year. The agreement, which encompasses "a retroactive component longer than almost any other contract we've seen," according to Chief of Policy and Planning Myong Leigh. It includes retroactive salary increases of 3 percent for 2000-01; 2.5 percent for 2001-02; 2 percent for 2006; and 9.5 percent for 2007. In exchange, members will pay the full share of their retirement costs starting this May.
This year's chunk will come from district reserves, with future increases coming out of the district's operating budget.
Labels: School Board Notes, SFUSD Politics
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