Detailed Priorities / To Do List
2. Construction funding.
2.1. Arbitrage analysis - looks like $4 million++ per Rod Stewart & Wes.
2.2. Energy saving and rebate projects (Julie Steinberg & Financial Advisory Commission) –
note need to coordinate with FEMA claim re pendant lighting.2.2.1. Persentation 8/3/98 – Sue Wojtaszek of Honeywell – conservative $275k/yr savings. Analyze re 10 year revenue stream.
2.2.2. Lighting, energy mgmt, HVAC upgrades, pool energy & humidity, preventative maint,
2.2.3. Put savings into facility improvements or cash flow to general fund?
2.3. Real estate underutilization -- 3 possible projects (HS lot, BV lot & district office).
Need Financial Advisory Commission to move on this ASAP.2.4. State bond funds.
Keep momentum so qualify for all work after May, 1999. Stay on top of plan approval process and work out additive upgrades ASAP.2.5. Private donors.
2.5.1.1. Meet with BHEF re strategy of Ross school district.
2.5.2. Naming opportunities.
2.5.3. Telethon?
2.5.4. Merchandising?
2.5.5. Channel 36?
2.5.6. KBEV?
2.5.6.1. Dave Stiles has now provided list of needed equipment to program KBEV on 24 hour basis. We need to try to obtain donations of such equipment or pay for it from media upgrade budget.
2.5.7. Televised tour of school sites!!!
2.5.8. Need follow up on meeting with alumni association.
2.5.8.1. Start new alumni association through BHEF if necessary?
2.5.9. Approach 25 largest property tax payers in BH & discuss self interests in helping us increase property values.
2.6. City/JPA.
2.7. Additional bond issue?
2.8. FEMA $$ -- need to integrate into our budget analysis.
2.9. E-Rate $$ -- follow up re status.
2.10. Analysis re dramatically increased enrollments once state of the art schools.
3. District Website.
3.1. Better availability of information.
3.2. Post budgets, agendas and minutes
. There has been some progress here, but not nearly enough. If we automate the process, we can make key information available to the public at a very low cost. Every citizen should be able to read the budget, and have advance notice of our agendas. Also, many reports that are presented to the Board, such as the special education report, should be on our website. The public pays for this information and we can provide it at a low cost, if we establish procedures for doing this.4. In and Out Hamburger – fundraising/morale plan.
4.1 Gave to Sol 3/24/98 – appears materials lost – someone needs to call them and evaluate the benefits from this program.
5. Special Education.
5.1. Implement report.
5.2. Videotapes for students & teachers to be distributed and broadcast on KBEV.
6. Study Session.
6.1. Discuss agendas/goals of all 5 board members.
6.2. Need a Saturday or a Sunday.
7. Proposition 209 -- permit program at HS now illegal???
8. Statistical samples/study re illegally enrolled students.
9. Weekly (or more frequent) assemblies at all schools to inculcate ethics, morals and patriotism.
10. Children-written column in BH Courier.
11. Advanced placement inclusiveness issues.
12. Reduce cheating at the high school.
13. Educational goals.12.1. Honor code?
13.1. Highest SAT1 scores in LA county or move from #57 in state to top 10.
13.2. Increase current % attending University of California schools from 19.2% to at least 30% (state average is 18.7% but some schools over 50%)
13.3. Reduce % attending community colleges (current 41.4% too high compared to local competitors).
13.4. Reduce 61% failure rate on Cal State English proficiency exams compared with 47% failure rate for all schools in California. This is an EASY test that most 10th graders should be able to pass & many should score 100%.
13.5. Math failure rate of 32% compares favorably with state avg. of 55% but we can do better.
13.6. Focus on key skills & on every student being prepared for SATs. Teach less math but teach in far more depth. Should be doing even better on math SATs.
13.7. Current SAT scores, relative to $$ spent are UNACCEPTABLE compared to other districts – not justified by LEP% or ethnicity. Need to get more results per $$ spent
.
14. Zero Based Budgeting.
14.1. Logical, proven strategy & Wes Stewart has done this successfully.
14.2. Need organizational chart with summaries re duties.
14.3. Dr. Pellicone will propose budget cuts beginning January 1998.
15. CSBA Consultant re Board Operations (Allison’s idea).
16. Madrigals perform at Board Meeting.
16.1
Done – 12/7/98 – thank you Barry Brucker & Dr. Pellicone.17. Perfect Student program – under new attendance law, it will be especially important to encourage (near) perfect attendance, and homework is critical to learning process.
18. Social promotion policy – ask for report re graduating 8th graders with more than 1 F.
18.1 New state law makes us more accountable – we need to comply with letter & spirit.
19. Bathrooms!!!
19.1. What happened to Lynn Wiegers’ plan??
20. Periodic summaries to all Board members re all material grievances & disputes.
21. Policy re hiring substitutes where no one being substituted for.
22. Effectiveness of custodial staff – need accountability.
22.1 Hire expert to evaluate? Consult other districts?
23. Construction quality control issues.
24. Make sure we enforce chargebacks against Venoco for damages during construction.
25. Gary Thorpe suggested programs for extra acheivements/honors (benefits both intrinsic & admission to more selective colleges – kids will benefit from trying even when don’t win).
25.1. Westinghouse Science Talent Search
25.1.1. Could do in conjunction with UCLA
25.1.2. Great honor/prestige for high school
25.1.3. Scholarship $$ for winners.
25.1.4. Looks fabulous on college applications for participants.
25.1.5. Appears superb for limited # of students – lower priority for this reason).
25.2. International Baccalaureate Organization.
25.2.1. Lots of California public schools involved, but none of our close competitors.
25.2.2. Looks very interesting as a way to obtain free curriculum & testing resources & enable graduates to go to better colleges.
25.2.3. Seems worth contacting Laguna Hills & other local participants to discuss benefits/drawbacks.
25.3. National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.
25.3.1 We have a long way to go to have a chance at this, but I am hopeful that we will get there within the next 2 years.
25.4. National Math League.
25.4.1. Makes math interesting & fun from 4th grade – low cost curriculum enhancement.
25.4.2. Major local competitors already involved (Palos Verdes, San Marino, La Canada, South Pasadena, Harvard-Westlake, etc.)
25.4.3. Perhaps the best cost-benefit ratio of all Gary’s ideas.
25.5. National Honor Society (HS) & National Junior Honor Society (middle school).
25.5.1. We can control own chapter & teacher committee selects students.
25.5.2. Yearly cost of only $65.
25.5.3. Good way to recognize outstanding students.
25.5.4. 250 $1,000 scholarships per year.
25.5.5. Looks great on college applications.
25.6. President’s Awards for Educational Excellence & for Educational Improvement.
25.6.1. Our federal tax dollars at work.
25.6.2. Improvement program provides opportunity to honor acheivement by special ed, ESL & other students who might not be able to compete for some of the other awards.
25.6.3. Local control of selection process, including ability to REWARD EFFORT, not just acheivement.
25.7. Gary’s list of history awards/scholarships.
25.7.1. A few look especially interesting, e.g. History of American West, History of Ba
seball.
25.8 French Honor Society.
25.8.3 Cheap, easy to honor outstanding students in French classes.
25.8. National History Day (needs further study).
25.9. Mu Alpha Thete (national Math Honor Society).
25.10. National Foundation for the Arts (awards acheivement in performance & visual arts – scholarships & looks great on college applications (area where we are already strong – would be nice to honor/enhance).
25.11. National yearbook excellence contests.
25.12. Prudential Insurance Company awards for community service (area where we are already strong – would be nice to honor/enhance).
25.13. American Citizenship Awards – another way to award students who may not be capable of becoming honor students & looks good on college applications.
26. Policy re Board member involvement in permit procedures.
27. Update Board policies – unforgivably out of date.
28. Maximize our revenues under new state budget.
28. Cola marketing opportunities — explore national ad campaign.
End of detailed priorities