SANTA CRUZ >> In a
unanimous vote Tuesday night, the Santa Cruz City Schools board responded to
last month’s Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury report, which criticized the
district’s Parcel Tax Oversight Committee’s organization.
Tuesday’s response was largely
a confirmation of the numerous concerns raised. Many of the point-by-point
responses, however, stated the district had already moved to remedy a majority
of the grand jury’s concerns.
The Parcel Tax Oversight
Committee is charged with monitoring how appropriately the district applies
district special tax revenue to specific programs.
Superintendent Kris Munro said
the board was being called out for not giving clear direction to its committee,
adding that district staff members are working to establish bylaws for all
other existing action-taking committees. A standardized annual report template
is also in the works, she said.
“Many of the grand jury
recommendations are items that we had identified ourselves. As soon as these
items came to our attention, we immediately moved to remedy and correct,” Munro
wrote in a press release.
Some organizational changes to
the committee include ensuring the group complies with meeting rules spelled
out in the Brown Act, clarifying its rules and procedures and providing
improved public access to meeting dates, current and former meeting agendas and
committee contact information.
The district contested some of
the grand jury report findings, however. Librarians and counselors funded by
parcel taxes do not perform administrative duties, and clerical work related to
their work is not restricted under the ballot language, the district wrote in
its response letter. Also, a 2006 board vote breaking down how tax revenue is
divided between multiple tax-funded interests expired with the parcel taxes and
does not need to be applied to new taxes, the response states.
Taking the largest step in
acknowledging the committee’s shortfalls, the board also voted Tuesday to
approve a set of bylaws for the committee, which had not previously existed.
Trustee Jeremy Shonick said he
felt the grand jury’s report should give the board and district some pause, and
cause some soul-searching.
“I think we need to send a very
clear message to the public that yes indeed we take these grand jury findings
very seriously,” Shonick said.
Trustee Patty Threet asked the
board to delay its vote on both the response and new bylaws to a later meeting,
in order to give the Parcel Tax Oversight Committee an additional chance to
review the final direction. A majority of the board voted to move forward
Tuesday with both the proposed bylaws and grand jury response as written,
however.
The hard look at the committee
comes as the district considers pursuing next year the renewal of the Measure P
parcel tax and a new school facilities bond measure.
The board also heard an update
on project projections for the coming year. The numbers, said Jim Monreal,
assistant superintendent of business services, were turned on their head — in a
positive direction — by the governor’s annual May budget revision. More
definite information will be provided during a June 3 district budget advisory
committee meeting, he said.
May 20, 2015
Santa
Cruz Sentinel
By
Jessica A. York
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