CASBO School Business Fall 2009

schoolbusiness california

California Association of School Business Officials

Fall 2009

Weighted toward charters?

Some see bias by State Board of Education

Rising through the ranks

Grass-roots members are the key to CASBO and the future of school business

Pandemic flu redux Are your schools prepared?

2 | California School Business

Fall 2009 | 3

4 | California School Business

contents Volume 74 Number 3 Fall 2009

departments

9

Checking in A quote, a thought, a moment to reflect Brian Lewis

13

Bottom line CASBO is going places…and not by accident!

Sharon Ketcherside

15

49

In focus CASBO member profile: Beverly Heironimus Out & about Photos from CASBO events statewide

50

Book club The 360 Degree Leader

51

First person CASBO Professional Development…your advantage in critical times Molly McGee-Hewitt

58

Last words

cover story

30

Weighted toward charters?

Some see bias by State Board of Education Linda A. Estep

interview

17

FCMAT leader answers questions in tough fiscal times Joel Montero: Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be a bumpy ride Julie Phillips Randles

features

25

Rising through the ranks Grass-roots members are the key to CASBO and the future of school business Julie Sturgeon

43

Pandemic flu redux Are your schools prepared?

Julie Phillips Randles

15

25

30

Fall 2009 | 5

CASBO MAGAZINE HONORED WITH ASAE GOLD CIRCLE AWARD publisher editor in chief

California School Business, the quarterly magazine of CASBO, has earned a coveted Gold Circle Award from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and The Center for Association Leadership.

features editor contributors

The magazine’s feature articles are written by professional journalists who research the stories and draw on the experience and expertise of members and others as sources for the articles. Each edition of California School Business also includes a member profile, columns by officers and staff, a question-and-answer interview with a person of influence in school business, and coverage of CASBO issues and events.

Jodi Jackson Julie Phillips Randles Linda A. Estep Molly McGee-Hewitt Dennis Meyers Julie Sturgeon Kevin Swartzendruber

editorial assistant design/layout

The Gold Circle Awards recognize excellence in association communications in categories including annual reports, magazines, newsletters, blogs, Web sites, podcasts and innovative communications.

The 2009 competition attracted more than 300 entries.

California School Business was redesigned and reinvented just over two years ago in direct response to the association’s member-driven strategic plan which called for revitalization of the association’s publications to make them more professional in content and graphic design, and to build their revenue generation.

Brian Lewis

cartoon advertising art

Kristen Jacoby Sharon Adlis Shawn Turner Lori Mattas

casbo officers president president-elect vice president immediate past president

advertising sales manager

Sharon Ketcherside Sacramento County Office of Education Renee Hendrick Orange County Department of Education Gary Matsumoto Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Eric D. Smith Santa Barbara School Districts CiCi Trino Association Outsource Services, Inc. 115 Spring Water Way Folsom, CA 95630 916.990.9999

www.casbo.org California School Business (ISSN# 1935-0716) is published quarterly by the California Association of School Business Officials, 1001 K Street, 5th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. (916) 447-3783. $2 of CASBO membership dues goes toward the subscription to California School Business magazine. The subscription rate for each CASBO nonmember is $20.

Periodicals postage paid at Sacramento and at additional mailing office. Send address changes to the CASBO membership department at 1001 K Street, 5th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Articles published in California School Business are edited for style, content and space prior to publication. Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent CASBO policies or positions. Endorsement by CASBO of products and services advertised in California School Business is not implied or expressed.

Copyright 2009 CASBO. All rights reserved. The contents of the publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

Published September 2009

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Fall 2009 | 7

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A quote, a thought, a moment to reflect When you take your seat on the plane, do you ever flip through the pages of the airline magazine “in the seat pocket in front of you?” I usually do, and I often find at least a little something that’s worth thinking about.

So here’s the quote from an airline magazine Q&A that got me thinking a few weeks ago: “People loved each other. We rooted for each other. We wanted each other to be the best we could be. When you’ve got a gang like that, you can do anything because you know you’ll never fall on your face. And if you do, there will be someone there to laugh.”

This take on workplace collegiality, collaboration and, yes, humor, struck a chord with me. I will say at the outset that the word “love” may be a bit too strong for many of us. At a minimum, though, I have to say that I prefer to work in a place where people do care about each other, and have a sense of shared responsibility and pride in our collective efforts.

That said, there is something about the sense of teamwork reflected in the quote that I think we all aim for in the places where we spend so much time with other human beings, doing what we hope is meaningful work, in the process of supporting ourselves and our families.

We are in the midst of confusing, difficult times that shake us and make our already challenging work that much more difficult. The fiscal realities are obviously the driving factor and are at the core of so much of what faces us every day. But the very human, real-life implications of those fiscal realities can undermine us and cause us to question things we previously may have taken for granted. They also impact how we conduct ourselves and how we interact with others.

We ask ourselves: How much worse is this going to get? For our students, for our schools, for our communities, for our families? When will it end? How different will things be when it does end and we take stock of a potentially different reality?

Of course, none of us knows the answers to those questions. But what do we know? Let me take a guess or two.

We know that most of us have to work to survive. We know we’d rather work in a place that makes a difference in people’s lives. We know we want to contribute to something bigger than ourselves. We know we want to be treated with honesty and respect. And we know we want to be appreciated for what we and our colleagues bring to the table.

If we try hard enough, we can continue to do these things, even in these tough times. If we work smart enough, we can continue to find new ways to do things in a new environment. If we care deeply enough about our work and our colleagues, we can withstand the stress that today’s unstable world presents us with every day.

Oh, and who was the source of the quote in the airline magazine? It was Maya Rudolph, formerly of “Saturday Night Live.” Food for thought and reflection from, perhaps, an unexpected source. Here’s to the seat pocket in front of you!

If we care deeply enough about our work and our colleagues, we can withstand the stress that today’s unstable world presents us with every day.

Brian Lewis Executive Director

Fall 2009 | 9

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12 | California School Business

bottomline

is going places… and not by accident!

casbo

By Sharon Ketcherside CASBO President

Three years into the development and implementation of casbo’s third strategic plan, the association

continues to be a “best practices” example

of how a member-driven organization like ours thoughtfully develops a vision

of the future, and creates and implements specific steps to get there.

Everything we do as members and

leaders of the association, and everything our professional staff does on our behalf,

is driven by that plan. Unlike many organizations that develop a strategic plan

and let it sit on a shelf, casbo’s plan is a

living document that guides us every day.

More than 15 years ago, casbo lead-

ers charted our course by establishing

this commitment to strategic planning that has served us incredibly well. And

in times like these, with diminishing

A key challenge facing the organiza-

tion in the current economy is whether

the business model we have employed

for many years will be the business model of the future. Historically, the vast majority of our work and two-thirds of our gross revenue have been generated by professional development activities – the casbo Annual Conference and California

School Business Expo; and our statewide

workshops. The steep drop-off in participation in both of these activities is a

warning sign that compels us to examine our business model and plan for change.

Our strategic plan forces us to focus on our real priorities and real needs.

The good news is that casbo mem-

the priorities charged to Brian when he

we work to fulfill the strategic plan – our

our Associate Member Committee pro-

started in 2005. Financial support from

resources and increasing pressures, our

bers have incredibly strong support as

forces us to focus on our real priorities

professional staff. Under the leadership

vided the start-up resources to launch

rector, Brian Lewis, our staff has brought

the publication’s excellence, along with

planning is more important than ever. It and real needs.

Some of the key elements in the plan

include making casbo more transparent

and making it possible for more mem-

bers to get involved in a wider variety of ways. With our new bylaws passing in

March by a “yes” vote of 85 percent, the

of our passionate, dedicated executive dihigh-level professional association work

to the table. Without that work, we could

not have achieved so much of our aggressive strategic plan in such a short time.

On that note, I’m thrilled to con-

Governance Implementation Team (git)

gratulate our staff for a recent award.

necessary to implement the bylaws.

magazine, just received the Gold Circle

is now working to draft the new policies

Improved communications, another

element in our plan, drove the launching

of a new Web site in 2007. New changes

have recently been made that will continue to make the site more user friendly

for members across the state. The site is

chock full of information and resources… and more is on the way.

the new magazine. This recognition of the significant revenue it generates, is

another example of the fine work of our staff. Congratulations to Brian and casbo’s communications and marketing director, Jodi Jackson!

Together, casbo members and our

This publication, California School Business

professional staff are carrying out our vi-

Award from the American Society of

and where we’re going in the future, are

Association Executives and the Center.

This is a prestigious honor that confirms

sion for the future. Where we are today, no accident.

our magazine as the best in the nation

Sharon Ketcherside, of the Sacramento

budgets over $2 million. The evolution

president.

among all associations with annual of the magazine was directed by our

County Office of Education, serves as casbo

previous strategic plan and was one of

Fall 2009 | 13

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Beverly Heironimus Focus on students is her singular passion During her nearly two-decade career in school business, Beverly Heironimus has faced the myriad issues that all CBOs must handle, but there is one particular aspect of her job that keeps her motivated – the ability to impact student learning by managing financial resources.

Heironimus, assistant superintendent, business services, for the Dublin Unified School District, says it’s her job to “manage resources wisely and provide the money for the classrooms.” She adds, “It’s always about student learning, staying focused on what’s important and providing resources for that.”

That singular passion – a focus on the students – has guided her work for the last 18 years. “The students are the reason we are all here and why I feel this is the right path for me,” Heironimus said. “Our resource allocation decisions must impact student learning. The love of learning for all students will serve them well in life.”

Her career began in the insurance industry as a corporate accountant in training. She then moved to the Sacramento County Office of Education as an account clerk, and on to Hayward Unified as an accounting supervisor and budget manager. In the early 1990s, she left school business to become a certified public accountant and then worked for two accounting firms with school district clients.

After becoming a CPA, Heironimus was offered a high-paying controllership in the wine industry; an offer she turned down to follow her passion. “I was aware as I turned down the job that education was where my heart was, and I could not imagine my life not serving education,” Heironimus explained. She returned to schools as director of finance for Newark Unified and then became a consultant at the Alameda County Office of Education before joining DUSD in 1999.

Her roles with CASBO are many and varied and include serving on the Northern Section Finance R&D Committee for 10 years and as chair of the committee for three; and moving up through additional posts with the Northern Section including serving as director III, II and I, vice president and president. Heironimus also has worked on the Annual Conference Committee and on the Facilities Working Group. She is currently a member of the Legislative Committee.

Heironimus has found that CASBO membership has helped her become a known commodity in the industry. “It’s where you meet people, your reputation becomes known and you end up getting jobs from it,” she tells prospective members. “All of the information and literature that comes out of CASBO is great. Even my board recognizes the value and asks ‘What does CASBO say about this?’”

Photography by Hope Harris

Fall Fall 2009 2009 || 15 15

16 | California School Business

interview

FCMAT leader answers questions in tough fiscal times

Joel Montero: Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be a bumpy ride

By Julie Phillips Randles

Business is – unfortunately – booming for Joel Montero, chief executive officer of the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (fcmat). With the state in a massive budget crisis and deep cuts felt in districts statewide, calls to fcmat for assistance and advice are on the rise.

fcmat, created by the Legislature in 1991, is an external and

independent entity designed to help local education agencies

avoid fiscal insolvency by providing financial advice, management assistance, training and related school business services.

As ceo, Montero oversees three broad areas: fiscal support, management/technical assistance and professional and product development.

Through fcmat, he also is one member of the three-person

Education Audit Appeals Panel (eaap) authorized in Education

Code Section 14502.1, and administers the California School Information Services (csis) program. He also is responsible

for statewide professional development under Assembly Bill 3141, and for providing support to chief business officials and

other business office positions at the district and county levels as spelled out in Assembly Bill 1200.

Before joining fcmat in 1998, Montero spent 10 years as

the superintendent of the Novato Unified School District. He also has held posts as an assistant superintendent in several school industry disciplines including school business, personnel, curriculum and instruction. Montero also has worked at the school-site level as a principal, assistant principal and teacher. In

total, Montero has a 34-year track record in nearly every school

industry strand. He holds life credentials in administrative services and secondary education.

Montero is a frequent lecturer and workshop presenter for

education organizations statewide, including casbo, speaking

Photos by Jodi Jackson

on topics such as fiscal audits, governmental relations, management assistance and external evaluation and monitoring of fiscal programs.

Fall 2009 | 17

Joel Montero

FCMAT leader answers questions in tough fiscal times

He is a member of the California Curriculum Management

Montero: If you look at us in terms of our annual report year-

Audit Center board of directors and provides oversight of the

over-year, 2007-08 as compared to 2008-09, there is overall

the California County Superintendents Educational Services

look at the sequence just between current-year first and second

Committee. He also serves on casbo’s Professional Develop-

quadrupled. Most of those are related to fiscal emergency issues.

California Educational Data Partnership. Montero serves on

Association (ccsesa) Business and Administration Steering ment Committee.

Montero has a bachelor’s degree in design engineering and

a master’s degree in education administration from the California State University system.

Here’s what Montero had to say about his life and career when

he sat down recently with California School Business magazine.

about a 200-percent increase in everything. However, if you

interim, between October and January, our contacts have about Right now we’re in 100 districts, give or take, and about half

of those are related to fiscal issues, either cash management, multiyear projecting or budget-development help. If you

compare that to our normal growth on an annual basis, generally we think if we have contacts year-over-year that are about 15 percent to 20 percent in excess of the prior year, that’s a big year.

This has been significant for us and getting bigger every day.

CSB: What is your ideal brain food?

Montero: I spend a lot of time on the road, so my normal brain

CSB: Can you identify an issue or two that puts districts over the edge

Realistically, when I need to get something done and I need my

Montero: The issues that put districts over the edge haven’t

food, particularly when I have to do a lot of thinking, is fruit.

fiscally?

brain to work, it’s coffee.

changed significantly, they are just more severe and acute in a bad

CSB: Name one of your hidden talents?

Montero: My most significant hidden talent is creating calm out

that have a pattern of deficit spending year over year over year

of crisis. I think it’s one of the things that I do best that probably

most people don’t know about me. I also think one of my hidden talents is a sense of humor, and because of my job, it doesn’t come out a lot.

CSB: What three things are essential to your life.

Montero: Family, absolutely. My wife and two boys, 16 and 18, are the lights of my life and everything that I do revolves around

them. Friendships; I have some very important friendships that

to me are essential. People who will accept you for who you are, and know who you are. And then work. I am committed to my

work and it is an absolutely essential part of who I am, whether it’s this job or jobs I’ve done in the past.

economic environment. For example, deficit spending – districts

are eventually going to run into trouble. That’s the biggest thing.

The second thing, and this is new, is the issue of one-time money.

School districts now have federal stimulus money and they are

going to spend it to support things that are ongoing. And they won’t have that money again next year. So districts that are not

good at planning forward in terms of how they are going to mitigate the loss of one-time money, particularly federal dollars,

are going to struggle in the out years. The third thing is poor cash management. The state doesn’t take over school districts that

have unbalanced budgets; the state takes over school districts that run out of cash – that’s two separate things. Particularly in this environment, in the era of cash deferrals, if you are not good at managing cash, you are going to struggle.

CSB: What kind of solutions are you recommending to troubled

CSB: What do you do to manage stress?

Montero: First of all, I exercise every day that I can, even when

districts?

classic cars. For me that’s mindless work, and I inherited the

current and multiple years, what we’re saying to them is you

Montero: The advice we’re giving to districts right now, who

I’m on the road. Like everyone else, I have hobbies. I restore

for the most part are struggling financially, looking out in the

interest from my father who was passionate about it. I have a

have to sit down right now and identify what your core program

shop at my house and I just go out there and I don’t have to think about anything else.

CSB: These are incredibly tough economic times for schools, which is leading to more and more districts facing a financial cliff. What

percentage of increase have you seen in districts that are seeking your aid in the past year?

18 | California School Business

is for children. What is it that you have to do to provide a solid

education for the children in your community? What are the things that are mission critical for every child that have to be supported?

Then, we’re telling them to look at the core program that

you establish and staff to contract. What that means is, in this

continued on page 20

Fall 2009 | 19

Joel Montero

FCMAT leader answers questions in tough fiscal times continued from page 18

environment, districts can’t afford to overstaff. This is an indus-

about how they apply and use their stabilization money lo-

in your budget. If you are carrying people that you can’t afford

understand that it has limitations because it’s one time. Use it

try of people, and so paying for people is the largest expense line

or are beyond the level you have established in your collective

bargaining agreement, you are spending money that you don’t have to spend.

cally. Any money is good money at this point, but you have to judiciously and have a plan to mitigate the loss of those dollars, because they will go away.

Finally, fasten your safety belts; it’s going to be a bumpy

Then we’re telling everybody that they have to conserve

ride. What I’ve been saying to people is “look, you have to get

state takes you over, you lose your local governance option; you

uring out where you are and how you are going to come out the

cash wherever they can because if you run out of cash and the

lose local control over the entity, and nobody wants that. Managing cash is critical. The fourth thing that we’re telling them is that after you establish the core program, you need to prioritize

other parts of the organization that are a high priority for their

community. After you fund the core program, if you have any

from here to there, and that’s what’s important right now.” Figother end of the tube basically intact and with your governance

authority intact. The problem is we don’t know where “there” is yet.

CSB: How can districts on the verge hold on for the next two or three

money left, you either put it in the bank and save it for cash flow,

more tough years ahead? What if this funding crisis lasts five years?

you can run.

leadership, good governance and good planning will be the

or you go from that prioritized list and run the things you think

We’re also telling districts to maximize flexibility in Tier 3

which is part of categorical program flexibility that came about

in the February 2009 budget. We’re telling them to be strategic

Montero: First of all, those school districts that have good districts that are most successful. The ones that think ahead and think strategically and are fiscally responsible; those are the districts that will survive. You have to be a better planner and a

continued on page 22

20 | California School Business

Fall 2009 | 21

Joel Montero

FCMAT leader answers questions in tough fiscal times continued from page 20

better leader right now. You have to be more cooperative overall

at second interim or next year at budget-development time. You

community, and the communication has to be better. All of those

better at that stuff are going to fare better in this market. Districts

within your district, between administration and labor and the

things that we think we want to do that facilitate good operations

have to be flexible, you have to be thoughtful. Districts that are

that go into crisis and throw up their hands and give up are go-

with any entity, that’s even more important now.

ing to struggle.

the unknown. The September 2008 budget was a balanced state

CSB:

between that three-week period we went from a balanced bud-

in to play?

Here’s the big issue right now for school districts – fear of

budget. That budget went out of whack in about three weeks and

get to about $8 billion in deficit at the state level. In February, the

fcmat

offers charter school fiscal management training. What’s

different about the advice you give to charters? What other issues come

Montero: Charters have a different set of rules, obviously, and so

problem was fixed for a second time by eliminating a $40-plus

the primary thing is that charters don’t have much economy of

categorical programs – the state effectively eliminated that $40

districts where one little thing that happens can move them into

billion state deficit. Flexibility, cuts to the revenue limit, cuts to

billion deficit. Then in May the deficit, in addition to that $40 billion, was $24 billion more. If you are a school district, you have a

great fear of what you don’t know is coming. The first thing you do is you don’t go into crisis. You try to plan effectively and you

have to move almost in real time day-to-day because decisions

that you made yesterday may not apply to the financial realities that are happening today or in six months or at first interim or

scale. We kind of deal with charters like we deal with tiny school

insolvency just like that. If you are a small district and you have

to place a student in a non-public school placement that you didn’t know about when the school year started, you could burn

through your whole reserve and more in months. Charters are

kind of like that – they tend to be smaller in number. They are receiving cuts as well in their categorical program block grants

and in their operational block grants, so they are going to have less money. While the law supports that school districts can’t

close the doors, the law I think assumes that if a charter goes

upside down, there’s a place for those children to go – the regular public school system. There’s no provision in the law if they run out of cash to help them. Charters have to do exactly everything

that school districts are doing in terms of identifying the core program and trying to maintain themselves in an uncertain

period, and know that the result of not being able to do that is not to exist anymore.

We’re providing as much management support as we can

for them. Sometimes they don’t have as much fiscal expertise because they tend to be smaller and to be sometimes staffed by

folks that are either volunteers or don’t have as much experience in school business, so we’re trying to help them with the

planning part – multiyear projecting. We think right now that multiyear projecting is probably the most important thing that we do because at every school district and charter school you

have to create a set of assumptions that impact your decision-

making day after day. The problem is that those assumptions now change almost every day. z z z

Julie Phillips Randles is a freelance writer based in Roseville, Calif.

Do you have an opinion or a comment on this article? California School Business magazine welcomes “Letters to the Editor.” Please send your letters to jjackson@casbo.org. All letters are edited for content, space and style considerations.

22 | California School Business

Fall 2009 | 23

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feature

Rising through the ranks Grass-roots members are the key to CASBO and the future of school business

By Julie Sturgeon

Leaders always rise to the occasion in

you, struggling with the same time and

have or are in the process of moving up

take charge, calming the troops and

the top like a cork in water, but are actu-

are doing today to prepare for the calling

times of crisis. They step forward and suggesting innovative ways to tackle the challenges.

But unlike a Hollywood script, they

do not merely rise from a mist ready to

do battle. Instead, these leaders have paid their dues, sitting in the cubicle next to

budget limitations. They do not shoot to ally working their way through the rank

and file the entire time. They are often unnoticed until the spotlight swings

through the ranks. They share what they of becoming leaders in school business.

Sharon Ketcherside

their way.

When Sharon Ketcherside’s children

casbo’s upwardly mobile-members who

dent of Rio Linda Union School District

Here is a glimpse at a handful of

were in middle school, the superinten-

Fall 2009 | 25

Rising through the ranks “My goal was to learn everything I could and meet everybody I could to help me in my job.”

Sharon Ketcherside Procurement services manager Sacramento County Office of Education

begged her to apply for a school secretary

troop leader, a position she still holds in

him “no” several times, but eventually

“Any type of formal program helps

position that had just opened. She told

partnership with her daughter.

took the job. Six years later, she needed

you hone your skills as a leader, to be

lege bills that started rolling in, and she

earned her bachelor’s degree in business

a 12-month paycheck to tackle those col-

made the leap to the position of buyer in the purchasing department.

On her first day on the job, the direc-

tor slid a piece of paper under Ketcherside’s hand and said, “This is a casbo application for membership. I’m not

telling you it’s mandatory, but it will be really good for your career.” A month later,

organized,” she said. Ketcherside also administration from Alameda University

in 2007 to put herself in a position to be

promoted down the line. Put it all together, and you get a woman who is prepared for that next step and has no fear of living up to the responsibilities.

“Fortunately, I’ve been a mom, and

now it’s just my husband and me. He has

your own little environment, you won’t

get the exposure you need to broaden your horizons.’” Personal development,

Ketcherside style, involves networking to solve problems and share solutions.

“The more you network, the more in-

formation you glean, the more you have

in your repertoire to do your job, and I’m not just talking about skill sets,” she noted. Nor does she advocate a grab for

leadership as the sole point of memberships. “When I first joined casbo, I never

had a thought of being the association’s

president. My goal was to learn everything I could and meet everybody I could

to help me in my job. The focus is moving up in the career, not the organization,” she summed up.

Fast facts: 1987-88 and 1988-1989: PTA President 1986-1989: School Site Council member 1991-1996: School secretary 1996: Joined CASBO 1996-1999: District buyer 1999: Director of purchasing at Folsom Cordova 2007: BS in business administration, Alameda University

his career and it’s time for me to see what

2009-10: CASBO president

side said.

Brad Vereen

vices manager at the Sacramento County

ployees to look at casbo professional de-

a stint in the military and a position as a

casbo.

success. “I tell them, ‘You need to learn

he decided to try a career path as a chem-

Ketcherside found herself at the casbo

Annual Conference and since that gathering in 1995, she’s never missed the event.

Today, she is the procurement ser-

Office of Education and president of

“At the time I joined, my job was just

a paycheck to me,” she confessed. “But

once I did some networking at that con-

ference, I knew that’s where I wanted to

be. I didn’t want to be a buyer for a school district, I wanted to be someone who can make a huge difference.”

Ketcherside describes herself as a

driven people-person who, “if I’m not challenged, I’m bored and get into trouble,” she laughed. But she credits her rise to the fact she rarely lets a chance to learn

and get involved escape. That includes

a stint as on a school site council and

service as pta president and a Girl Scout

26 | California School Business

I can do, add on, accomplish,” KetcherNaturally, she encourages her em-

velopment opportunities as part of their

every aspect of your job and of the per-

son’s sitting next to you, too. If you stay in

“Offer to help when it is not expected.

It is appreciated, and it gives you visibility and knowledge that you’ll need later.”

Brad Vereen Energy education manager Dublin Unified School District

Brad Vereen brought with him an mba,

purchasing agent in Silicon Valley when istry teacher in the Dublin Unified School

District in 2003. He liked the setting, but

hanging up his corporate instincts wasn’t

you don’t there are consequences,’ ” he

and inclination he was the right man for

So he asked the superintendent to

to command respect.” Instead, he said, it

of Business Management certification

as easy as he anticipated.

recommend him for a school business management certification course. Before

he could warm his chair, Dublin put

out a job description for an energy man-

said. “Now, being a cop is the wrong way

takes a leader to make this happen because at the core, he’s offering them nothing in return except a warm fuzzy feeling.

“You can either have someone sit-

the job. Completing the 13-month School

program at University of Southern California covered that angle. Second, ally himself with a professional organization

in this industry. casbo has filled this

ager, and Vereen fit the bill. Since January

ting at a computer very passively send-

need perfectly. And third, develop a track

district’s energy savings along with his

build yourself and position yourself as

whether that’s a budget, people or both.

classroom duties; this fall he will step into the management role full time.

The job involves working directly

with utility providers to lower energy costs, scour bills for errors and educate

staff on ways to reduce energy consumption. Although the district added several

new buildings, Vereen managed to ensure that the district consumed less electricity overall during his first year at the helm.

“In my previous career, this would

have been done in a very heavy-handed, black hat approach. ‘You will do this. If

ing e-mails, or you can present yourself,

someone with significant responsibility,”

record of being in charge of something, “Failing to understand the goals and

Vereen explained. He chose the latter,

objectives of other parts of the organiza-

the initiative to meet with teachers and

“Offer to help when it is not expected. It

snagging invitations to meetings, taking continually making himself visible.

Second, he realized the jump from

the certificated world to the business side would not be easy. “There needed to be a

logical entry point for me. You can’t go

from a chemistry teacher to budget direction without a compelling reason,” he

said. So he laid out a three-point strategy:

First, convince people that by training

tion in depth is a killer,” Vereen added. is appreciated, and it gives you visibility and knowledge that you’ll need later.”

Fast facts: 1990: BA, UC Berkeley 1999: MBA, California State University, East Bay 2003-2007: Science teacher, Dublin Unified School District 2008: Certificate, School Business Management, University of Southern California

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Rising through the ranks 2007: Energy education manager, Dublin Unified School District 2008: Joined CASBO

Jaime Lightsey Jaime Lightsey’s moment of truth came

while she attended a graduation ceremony in San Bernardino County. She didn’t have a student there; she wasn’t a proud aunt or supportive family friend, she was a

contracts specialist for the county’s superintendent. “I saw how our jobs specifically

“I saw how our jobs specifically pertain to the future, how what I do here makes a difference there.”

Jaime Lightsey Contracts specialist San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools

pertain to the future, how what I do here makes a difference there,” she said.

Lightsey says she was goal-less when

took a few more, and eventually enrolled

hectic and the time short. Lightsey used

years ago as a secretary. As she moved

full-time student on the side. Her goal is

program, trotting out to homeless shel-

she entered the school business arena five into the office specialist i, then office specialist ii categories at San Bernardino,

“I really didn’t know where my strong

at San Bernardino Valley College as a to transfer to the University of Redlands’ business program in a year.

Earning $1,000 from casbo’s East-

points were. I was a person who liked to

ern Section professional growth schol-

But her supervisor put her in charge

association as yet another stepping stone

be around people,” she said.

of maintaining the contract files each day

using a series of 19 Excel spreadsheets.

Lightsey had a passing acquaintance with access from her secretary role, and

decided to see if she could move the database tracking system to that venue for better work flow.

arship has helped. Lightsey joined the

these temporary addresses. “I would see

the excitement on the kids’ faces,” she explained, “and it just reinforced that I am here for a reason.”

And the leadership steps are worth

it in unexpected ways. “So many people

the casbo newsletter put out the call for

they can be. I can honestly say I’m not

found herself part of the fabric. When volunteers on various committees, she

didn’t hesitate to pick up the phone and

dial. Currently, her participation with the Eastern Section Purchasing r&d has

opened her eyes to the realities of the

would mean taking a class, and Lightsey

“I’m not afraid to ask a question,”

state budget.

did know the classroom environment

Lightsey said of her journey.

Once she conquered that first course, she

that spurs her on when the schedule gets

had never been among her strong suits.

ters to sit down and tutor kids living in

in her own education quest, and quickly

The rub: Improving the system went

hand-in-hand with improving herself. It

to volunteer with a homeless education

She carries another memory as well

make fun of clerical jobs and how boring bored,” she laughed.

Fast facts: 2004: Secretary for student events, Riverside County Office of Education 2005: Office specialist I, KidsNCare department, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools 2006: Office specialist II, purchasing/ contracts department 2007: Contracts specialist 2008: Joined CASBO

“Making sure you have decent relationships with your peers goes a long way in advancing your career.”

Eric Rosburg Director of information technology Washington Unified School District

28 | California School Business

2009: CASBO Eastern Section professional growth scholarship recipient

Eric Rosburg Eric Rosburg knew the ins and outs of running a start-up, pre-ipo technology company cold. He was there in the early

2000 s when the bubble burst and mas-

sive layoffs were inevitable. Rosburg himself let go some of his top staff. “And

since we weren’t doing a lot of actual work anymore, as a department, I made it

our sole focus to find some of these guys jobs,” he noted.

One of those employees returned the

working long hours of overtime for a board of directors to make a little more

money, for a ceo to have a padded ex-

serving in a superintendent capacity down the road.

His advice: Don’t try to reinvent the

favor. The tech had landed a position at

pense account,” he pointed out.

wheel every time thinking it’s the only

the commute from Reno to Napa was a

his leadership experience toward the

yourself. “Making sure you have decent

threw the gig to Rosburg. Later, a value

ties remain the same, he contends, like

the Napa County Office of Education, but strain on the family. So when he quit, he

reseller recommended that Rosburg look into a similar position posted in the

casbo job listings with Washington Uni-

fied School District.

“At a start-up, everything was done

at the speed of light,” he noted. “We didn’t

take into consideration much the actual cost of doing business – that was for someone else.” The school business side

introduced a purchase order process that was painstakingly long in comparison.

So he made a commitment to shape

school business model. A lot of the quali-

listening to your staff and making sure

you maintain integrity. “But when you move from private industry to schools,

the terminologies are different. This is the only industry that has more acronyms than the telecom world I came from,” Rosburg said.

From that perspective, he attended

the 2005 casbo Annual Conference and

California School Business Expo and agreed to fill the empty r&d chair for

way to be creative and draw attention to

relationships with your peers goes a long way in advancing your career,” he said.

“Get involved. Get known. Don’t be a wallflower.”

Fast facts: 1997: Kaiser Permanente, Santa Rosa Campus, IT helpdesk 2002: Manager of information technology, Napa County Office of Education 2003: Joined CASBO 2002-03: Sacramento Section Technology R&D chair 2006: Director of information technology,

But, like Lightsey, he found the

technology in the Sacramento Section. He

Washington Unified School District z z z

tivating. “One of my biggest complaints

gram through the University of Southern

Julie Sturgeon is a freelance writer based in

ultimate customer – students – very moworking pre-ipo was you bust your tail

also enrolled in a cbo mentorship proCalifornia toward his ultimate goal of

Indianapolis, Ind.

Fall 2009 | 29

Weighted

toward charters?

Some see bias by State Board of Education

30 | California School Business

cover

By Linda A. Estep

G

ot a bone to pick with the State Board of Education? If

in the Santa Ana and San Juan unified school districts this fall.

schools, take a number, get in line and help yourself to a chill

Research Foundation which already operates six charter schools

your objection relates the board’s apparent affinity for charter

pill. More than one group has a dog in this fight, and fur is about to fly.

Education advocates, professional associations and elected

school board officials have recently pointed to what they believe

is a stacked state board that favors charter schools; a board illequipped to make decisions that benefit the majority of public

The petition was submitted by the Magnolia Educational and in Southern California.

According to sources at the Association of California School

Administrators (acsa), neither district had been notified of the

opportunity to express concerns about the petition. After being alerted by acsa that the item was on the board’s agenda, Santa

Ana Superintendent Jane Russo and San Juan Director of Com-

school students in California.

munications Trent Allen attended to express concerns about the

appointed by the governor. Of the 11, one is a student represen-

petition establishing charter schools in both districts under the

The 11 members of the State Board of Education (sbe) are

tative. Recent appointees by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger each

have a pronounced slant toward the charter movement - the

petition, but to no avail. The board voted 7-1 to approve the oversight of the sbe.

Although the board acknowledged that the districts should

appointees are either charter operators, have ties to the charter

have had advance notice of the agenda item and instructed

“The state board has lost its way,” said Scott Plotkin, execu-

Allen said the board continued with its deliberation and voted

movement or are strong proponents of charter schools.

tive director of the California School Boards Association (csba)

and a veteran of Sacramento politics and policy-making in education.

“Decisions are overreaching toward charter operators. The

issue is more than a conversation about half the board having

Department of Education staff to be more diligent in the future, to place a charter school in his district where no schools are classified as program improvement schools. The cde documents

that accompanied the petition indicated the charter should be established in an area where schools are struggling.

Plotkin and others maintain that petitioners occasionally

some connection to charter schools. Many decisions have be-

apply under the statewide benefit charter provision in order

for sticking the governor’s finger in the public schools’ eye?’”

potentially damaging impact to the district. Others contend that

come politically tinged. It’s like ‘wait a minute, what is the basis he said.

“When you think of statewide bodies in education, the tradi-

tion is that they are lay persons with no agenda or ax to grind.

They concentrate on good public policy. When you have people with a vested interest, it contradicts tradition in appointments,” Plotkin added. “We think this is a big issue.”

Bone of contention A bone of contention is the growing number of charter school

petitions being approved as a “statewide benefit charter.” Under this designation, the board may authorize the five-year operation of a charter school providing instructional services of statewide

benefit that cannot be provided by one charter school in only

to bypass a school district that might deny the petition due to

sometimes a petitioning charter is a duplication of instructional services already available in the district, despite the petitioner’s claim of offering something new or creative.

A matter of perspective At issue is not an anti-charter sentiment, insist those expressing

concern. It is what critics call an imbalance of perspectives tilting toward the charter movement that has them agitated. Observers feel the majority of traditional public school students are not

represented by a board that has a disproportionate percentage of members connected to charter schools or are vocal charter supporters.

Despite the charter movement’s growing popularity and

one district or county. Two schools must be opened in different

the governor’s clear support, less than 5 percent of California’s

meeting performance objectives at the end of two years to open

collected by the California Department of Education.

counties in areas with struggling schools. There is an option after two additional schools each year.

One such recent approval of a statewide benefit charter was

the establishment of Pacific Technology School to be opened

6.2 million students attend charter schools, according to data

Critics frustrated with board agendas heavy with charter

school business are asking if enough attention is shown to the

other 95 percent of California students. Some go so far as to

Fall 2009 | 31

Weighted toward charters suggest most board members do not have a background deep

that it is a good thing that several members have experience in

issues affecting school districts throughout the state.

well-balanced body whose members are looking out for the best

enough in public education to make informed decisions about

“When a board has members with no experience as a (public

school) superintendent, teacher or school business official, that

both k-12 and higher education. I am confident that the sbe is a interest of all California public school students.

“I can assure you that the sbe members are all deeply

imbalance is not healthy,” said Sherry Griffith, legislative advo-

concerned about California’s education system as a whole, and

anyone who is a business official, how can you understand what

give all students the opportunity to succeed, regardless of what

cate with acsa governmental relations. “When you don’t have

the budget issues really are?”

Two current board members do have teacher experience on

their resume, although not recent.

Brian Lewis, executive director of casbo, believes a diverse

have made a commitment to doing everything in their power to school they attend.”

Board member bios

board is a strong board. “Whether it’s the school board or the

According to the board member biographies on the State Board

and leads to meaningful discussion and debate,” he said.

charter school in Los Angeles. Board member Johnathan

State Board of Education, diversity of viewpoints is a strength “Without that diversity, full representation is lacking, effective

governance is denied, and fair and equitable decision making is

out of reach. This is certainly true of decisions made by the state board that have a huge impact on the finances and operations of

of Education Web site, Yvonne Chan is principal of a conversion

Williams is founder of a charter school network in Los Angeles and a former board member of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the Black Alliance for Educational Options and the California Charter Schools Association.

“The balance is not representative of reality,” he said. “The

Two recent appointees (unconfirmed by the state Senate as of July 2009 ) are Jorge Lopez and Rae Belisle. Lopez is the executive director for Oakland Charter Academy. Belisle is the president and ceo of EdVoice, recognized as a charter school advocacy group. She is also an attorney who has served as chief counsel to the State Board of Education and defended the constitutionality of charter schools. She chaired the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools from 2005 to 2008 .

pro-charter members, and it makes one wonder what is his

executive and chairman of the California Business for Education

Secretary of Education Glen Thomas submitted the follow-

public school teacher and currently a member of the board of

traditional public schools. How they’ve handled facilities issues is a prime example.”

Stacked deck Lewis believes an imbalance on the sbe means the board cannot adequately serve all public education students in California.

governor seems preoccupied with filling the board with ultimate goal.”

ing statement to California School Business magazine regarding

the makeup of the board:

“When it comes to appointments, the governor’s first pri-

ority is to find the best, most qualified individuals to serve the people of California. He always welcomes and looks for diverse

backgrounds and opinions, but his highest priority is to appoint

Other sbe members are Gregory Jones, a retired insurance

Excellence Foundation; Ruth Bloom, sbe vice president, a former trustees of the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Los Angeles; David Lopez, president of the National Hispanic University in

San Jose; and James Aschwanden, a former high school agriculture teacher who has been executive director of the California Agricultural Teachers Association since 1993.

Board President Mitchell is president and chief executive

people to the State Board of Education who he feels will help

officer of NewSchools Venture Fund, a venture philanthropy

Ted Mitchell, state board president, responded similarly

privileged children through investing in for-profit and nonprofit

ensure every California student receives a first-rate education.”

in a statement, repudiating claims that board members lack appropriate backgrounds to adequately serve all students in public education.

firm that focuses on transforming public education for undereducation entrepreneurs, mostly charter schools. He also sits on the board of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

Alan Bersin resigned from the sbe this year when he accept-

“The ability of an individual State Board of Education mem-

ed a position with the Department of Homeland Security in the

education issues is based on the totality of their experiences. It

he is a former California secretary of education and superinten-

ber to objectively and competently engage in the full range of

is a good thing that a number of our members have experiences

in both charter schools and district schools in the same way

32 | California School Business

Obama administration. A 2006 Schwarzenegger sbe appointee, dent of San Diego City Schools. Before entering public service, he was a senior partner in a Los Angeles law firm.

casbo President-elect Renee Hendrick, executive director of

business services for the Orange County Department of Educa-

tion, believes the sbe has become more lenient in approving charter petitions that have been denied by school districts. “Charters can

be a great supplement to some districts, but with the board stacked the way it is, a level of fairness might not be there,” she said.

acsa legislative advocate Laura Preston attends board

meetings and monitors the charter school agenda items.

“Change will come when there is more balance,” she agreed.

“We want real educators on that board, people who understand the implications of decisions at the local level.”

Preston added that she and other observers of sbe busi-

ness have access to board members “who are very gracious,”

but she feels the governor should be advised that his next appointment must come from a traditional public education pool of candidates.

Bitter pill to swallow The board’s March 2009 approval of the Western Sierra

Their zealousness to bring more and more charters onto the playing field has resulted in their loss of understanding of the legislative intent as to the purpose of charter schools.

Collegiate Academy to be established within the Rocklin

continued on page 36

Fall 2009 | 33

34 | California School Business

Fall 2009 | 35

Weighted toward charters continued from page 33

Unified School District boundaries (with sbe oversight) was an

campus and its ability to meet operational expenses. He pointed

His district had twice denied that petition, and it was denied a

his district, one of them building its own facility in collaboration

especially hard one for Superintendent Kevin Brown to swallow. third time by the Placer County Board of Education before the charter petitioner applied for sbe approval.

Brown said his community was overwhelmingly opposed

to the establishment of the charter school which plans to be

open initially to students in grades 7 and 8, expanding each year

until it serves grades 7 through 12 by 2012. Its focus is college

out that three charter schools are successfully operating within with the district.

Despite his presentation of concerns, the accs voted to rec-

ommend approval by the sbe at its next meeting. The petition

went to the sbe for consideration at its March 11-12 meeting.

But the path leading to board approval had a twist.

The sbe met on March 11 and in open session had a two-

preparatory curriculum.

hour discussion about the petition to establish Western Col-

(accs) a month before the board decision, Brown noted that rusd

then denied again by the Placer County Office of Education. Four

Addressing the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools

already offers 17 advanced placement courses, and graduates 97

percent of its students, with 65 percent of graduates having completed the a-g requirements for University of California admission.

The accs is charged with reviewing charter petitions before

they are passed on to the sbe. accs members are appointed by the board, with the exception of one member who is designated

legiate Academy in a district that had twice denied it and was board members voted to approve and three voted against. The vote was not enough to meet the six votes needed to pass. It was

decided that the petitioner would come before the board again

in May, a date past the deadline specified by Proposition 39 in order to open a charter school in the next school year, fall 2009.

Then, according to an article in the Placer Herald, sometime

by the superintendent of public instruction, but is deemed ap-

between the failed approval on March 11 and the second day

Brown outlined district and parental concerns about the

wsca Executive Director David Patterson occurred. According

pointed by the board as well.

petitioner’s expectation to be housed on a district high school

meeting on March 12, a discussion between board members and to the state-published Preliminary Report of Action Taken, “On

day two of the meeting, President Mitchell urged the board to reconsider its vote on the matter.” The board approved a motion

to reconsider the previous vote of March 11, which board counsel advised is permissible under Robert’s Rules of Order. After

The XYZs of California School District Debt Financing

some deliberation, the board then voted to approve the petition in a roll call vote of 7-1.

Stunned by what Brown called “backdoor maneuvering,”

Rocklin usd filed a writ in court to have the decision nullified.

That action and disputes about facilities for the charter school have

led to a contentious relationship between the district and the charter operator, with a lingering threat of litigation by both parties.

The experience has left Superintendent Brown frustrated by a

State Board of Education he says turns a deaf ear to district concerns.

We are proud to present The XYZs of California School District Debt Financing, Third Edition.

The XYZs has been revised to reflect the many changes that have taken place in the world of school district debt finance since the publication of the second edition in 1996.

To obtain your free copy of this publication, please contact publicfinance@orrick.com.

For more information, visit www.orrick.com/public_finance.

“Their zealousness to bring more and more charters onto

the playing field has resulted in their loss of understanding of the legislative intent as to the purpose of charter schools. Now

anyone, for any reason, need only put a rough outline together addressing minimum criteria (assurances and elements) and the state board routinely stamps its approval,” he said.

“We spend months reviewing petitions before we make a

decision (to accept or deny) and the board spends limited time

reading the analysis of one Department of Education staff member. The state board is imposing its will on local jurisdictions.

That just doesn’t feel right,” Brown said. z z z

orrick, herrington & sutcliffe llp los angeles new york orange county pacific northwest sacramento san francisco silicon valley washington dc

36 | California School Business

www.orrick.com

Linda A. Estep is a freelance writer based in Fresno, Calif.

Fall 2009 | 37

38 | California School Business

Fall 2009 | 39

40 | California School Business

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42 | California School Business

feature

PANDEMIC FLU REDUX Are your schools prepared?

By Julie Phillips Randles For the past five years, Jeannie Goobanoff has been

As she continued to track the path of, and response to, the

training school leaders on what to do should a pandemic

swine flu, many of her warnings to the school industry came to

it came to pass.

in days, not weeks or months, and that’s what happened. It was

strike the state and shutter schools. Suddenly in spring 2009 “When it first started I heard about the case in San Diego

and I started watching,” said Goobanoff, the recently retired

fruition. “I had always said in our training that it will happen scary,” Goobanoff recalled.

This spring’s h1n1 virus closed nearly 40 California schools

loss prevention director for Redwood Empire Schools Insurance

and netted about 140 missed school days. By mid-June, the

mentation Team. She followed the spread of the virus online and

first global flu pandemic in 41 years.

Group and chair of casbo’s Professional Development Imple-

through the news media. “I kept thinking, ‘it’s actually happening.’ My eyes were bugging out.”

World Health Organization declared a swine flu pandemic – the The relatively mild infections from swine flu that crept

through the state in the spring provided districts and county

Fall 2009 | 43

PANDEMIC FLU REDUX offices of education with an opportunity to put their pandemic

“The messages were consistent, and that was a total suc-

preparedness plans to the test.

cess,” said Goobanoff. “Schools should use these procedures all

and in late July projected that up to 40 percent of Americans

any kind of illness transmission.”

But health officials predict a resurgence of the flu in the fall,

could get the swine flu this year and next. This just as k-12 schools prepare to start the new academic year and a vaccine for the virus is not expected until long after school starts.

H1N1 round one The first cases of the h1n1 virus, or swine flu, were found in one

the time. If they just make it standard procedure, it would limit According to Linda Davis-Alldritt, school nurse consultant

for California’s Department of Education, it was aggressive

planning with the Department of Public Health beginning in 2005, and table-top exercises and Web casts shared with local

districts about proper pandemic response, that allowed things to run smoothly.

“We were all speaking the same language. We understood

child in San Diego County and another in Imperial County on

each other,” she said. “We were able to get information out in a

public health officials. By April 28, the first school was closed.

new information available. We also, through the (state) superin-

April 24. Within hours, school closures were being pondered by

When the virus arrived in California, health officials had

to rely on data from Mexico, which indicated the illness had a

high level of severity, according to Dr. Howard Backer, associate

secretary for emergency services for the California Health and Human Services Agency. With few details on the epidemiology

timely manner, update our Web site and quickly make links to

tendent’s e-mail system, got messages out to all districts and counties, and we used that system during the height of the outbreak.”

Fiscal impacts

of this particular flu, the agency initiated “a very aggressive

The nearly 40 school closures statewide related to the h1n1

case” of the virus, according to Backer.

lines. However, in August, Education Secretary Arne Duncan

policy of closing an individual school when there was only one

This school-by-school closure approach deviated from the

state’s plan. “Our original policy that was in place from earlier planning was completely different,” Backer said. “It was based

on the assumption that it would begin overseas, that we would

have information on severity before it got here, and the plan was

virus did have something of an impact on districts’ bottom announced that schools will get help paying for the costs of coping with the flu from $260 million in federal money distributed to communities.

do understand that there is a huge burden on the community

Schools should not be making their own plans based on their own ideas. Coordinate with your county superintendent and public health at the county level.

health, interventions are always a balance between benefit and

Visalia Unified School District had a single school closed for

to close all schools at once when it got to the state.”

Instead, the virus started in our own backyard and the

severity was unclear, “so we adopted a modified policy of indi-

vidual school closures,” Backer said.

He added that the agency was “aggressive in school closures

in the beginning” and then backed off when it became evident that widespread closures may not be necessary. “We were fast in

arriving at a policy and implementing it quickly,” he said. “We

when kids are not in school. The important thing is that in public unintended consequences,” Backer said.

The message With the h1n1 virus in the south state and spreading, and the number of school closures growing daily, the message put out

3 1/2 days. Fortunately, the closure was ordered after Period 2

attendance reporting had been turned in, said Christine Statton,

chief financial officer and a member of casbo’s Financial Services r&d Committee, minimizing the potential fiscal impacts.

Statton reminded fellow cbos that had the closure occurred

prior to Period 2 reporting, the district would have to file for an

by public health departments and filtered down to schools was

attendance accounting exemption from the state. If the closure

to school or work if you are sick.

for attendance purposes, but likely should still be considered for

three-fold: wash your hands, cover your cough and don’t come The message was right on target, experts agreed.

44 | California School Business

occurs after the Period 2 reporting, the waiver is not required instructional minutes reporting, she advised.

cbos should also keep in mind that the exemption can be

notice of the closure and were not waiting at their bus stop in

the way to go, Statton said, in case the district experiences higher

Having dealt with a closure, Cleveland has some advice to

filed for one school or districtwide. A districtwide filing may be

the morning.

than usual absence rates due to fear at sites that have not been

share with those who might face closures in the future. “Make

send kids for three or four days,” Statton said.

incident happens. Communicate with all business departments

ordered closed. “We had parents at other sites choosing not to A dip in districtwide attendance numbers can impact some

funding mechanisms that are based on annual attendance, such as lottery funding, she reminded.

At Berkeley Unified School District, casbo member Javetta

Cleveland, deputy superintendent, business services, noted a few ways the district was affected financially during the two-day closure of an elementary school.

sure you know what actions you are going to take before the and the sites, and then implement the closure professionally and expedite it well.”

A high school closure in San Marcos Unified School District

where casbo member Gary Hamels is the assistant superintendent, business services, also raised some minor fiscal issues; nearly all were related to personnel.

While the closure was ordered for students on a Monday,

Take, for example, the topic of employee pay. Teachers

arrangements with teachers who were expected to still come to

released due to the closure were not paid. Other than a loss of

returned to work on Tuesday, after custodians, with assistance

were paid despite the closure, but hourly employees who were service, Cleveland said there was no significant increase in costs or savings due to the school closure.

Transportation employees were also impacted. While at

first busses were re-routed to leave the closed school out of the

schedule, it was later decided that drivers should cover the route

on the first day of closure to be sure all students had received

work had to be handled. In agreement with the union, teachers from food services personnel, had cleaned the site.

The only real additional costs came in form of increased

cleaning supplies, Hamels said.

San Marcos usd also saw an increase in absences in the days

following the closure with absence rates nearly double the usual.

Fall 2009 | 45

PANDEMIC FLU REDUX Polish your plan For years, districts and county offices have been told to put a specific pandemic response plan in place. The arrival of swine

flu put those plans to the test in areas where school closures were

ordered, and may have prompted those districts that never quite

• Update your contact list and communication plan with cabinet-level employees. Then, be sure you have that contact

information easily accessible. Reaching cabinet members was crucial in Berkeley usd when a school closure was ordered over

a weekend.

got around to formulating a plan to do so on the double.

• Determine a policy for employees’ return to work. In some

the headlines, Backer said. “This is helping us advance pandemic

or more, teachers left town. When schools re-open sooner than

The recent outbreak brought pandemic planning back into

preparedness, which is generally useful for any large-scale emergency.”

In fact, the recent pandemic is being hailed as an opportu-

nity for awareness – and action; an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.

districts where schools were expected to be closed for a week

expected and some employees are out of town, will you handle employee absences as personal leave or vacation time?

• Create a policy for employees whose school remains open,

yet their children attend a school that has been closed. Address what kind of leave they will receive.

Don’t have a plan? “They are missing such an opportunity,”

• Decide how to best communicate about school closures

advantage of this opportunity right now, they are going to be

unexpectedly. Find out now how to manage instant alert phone

Goobanoff said of those agencies that don’t. “If they don’t take

doomed. They won’t be able to handle it, and they won’t recover,” she warned.

The recent pandemic is being hailed as an opportunity for awareness – and action.

For districts that have a plan in place, let the pandemic serve

as a warning to polish it up. “If you see a part of it that doesn’t

with parents and employees. Closures often come swiftly and

messages which may have to be sent out to assorted stakehold-

ers, and in multiple languages. Then, err on the side of overcommunicating.

• Review the established k-12 emergency plan checklists at the California Department of Education Web site and make sure your district’s safety plan is in alignment.

• Start thinking now about establishing homeschooling plans including telephone or Web-based instruction.

Facing the flu season While the illness from this spring’s h1n1 virus was mild in most

work, make it work,” Goobanoff said.

cases, health experts can’t say for sure what the virus will look

how to protect your employees, prevent the spread of the virus

mutates in coming months.

“This is an excellent time to review your plan and to decide

and to make sure that you have a connection with the local health

like in the upcoming flu season. It all depends on if the virus “Pay attention to what you are being told by public health

department,” Backer added.

departments,” Goobanoff advised. “Schools should not be

that districts should add to their pandemic preparedness plans:

with your county superintendent and public health at the

The pandemic dress rehearsal did dredge up a few issues

• Assign a news monitor – with information on the virus and outbreak locations frequently changing, assign a single person

in the district to monitor news coverage and public health Web sites.

• Establish a policy that addresses illness among school board

making their own plans based on their own ideas. Coordinate county level.”

And keep tabs on updates from the Department of Edu-

cation which is currently reviewing its response to the spring pandemic.

“We are going to take a hard look at what worked, and what

members. What happens if multiple members have the flu and

didn’t work,” Davis-Alldritt said. “One of the things we learned

• Create a plan in case school closures occur near or during

confirmed cases and who was dismissing students and who

a quorum cannot be present?

the time of scheduled state testing, as was the case this year.

Because state testing rules are restrictive, determining how to

handle testing that is waylaid by an emergency is crucial, and changes to the schedule may require an application for a waiver from the state.

46 | California School Business

is that we need a streamlined mechanism for schools to report wasn’t. But based on feedback we’ve had from county offices and districts, things went very smoothly.” z z z

Julie Phillips Randles is a freelance writer based in Roseville, Calif.

SAVE THE DATE! C A SBO

sacramento APRIL 16-19

Fall 2009 | 47

Ca

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se or Purchase nt, Lea e R o ay t tod

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Execution From start to finish, you have a team of modular building experts to ensure successful execution of your project.

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800.944.3442

48 | California School Business

out & about

The Professional Development Committee and CASBO staff gather at the May PDC planning meeting in San Diego. (Front row l-r) Erika Sizemore, Christina Aragon, Brenda Boothe, Jodi Jackson and Molly McGee-Hewitt; (back row l-r) Tish Koch, Brian Lewis, Michael Johnston, Tim Zearley, Steve Bolman and Vincent Christakos.

(l-r) Members of the Council on Professional Development, Herb Calderon, interim superintendent, Victor Valley Union High School District; and Margie Brown, assistant superintendent, facilities development, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, pictured at the CPD May planning meeting in San Diego.

Taking a break from the Associate Member Committee Meeting in Sacramento in June are (l-r) Raelene Walker, fringe benefit consultant, American Fidelity Assurance Co. Educational Services Division; Sean Baum, senior account executive, Vangard Concepts Offices; and Janet Kendrick, Central California area manager, American Fidelity Assurance Co. Educational Services Division.

(l-r) Marilyn Cleveland, attorney, Miller, Brown & Dannis; and CASBO President-Elect Renee Hendrick, executive director, business services, Orange County Department of Education, pictured before the June board meeting in Sacramento.

Strategic Planning Implementation Team leaders (l-r) Art Schmitt, G. Wayne Oetken, Georgene Neher, Jeannie Goobanoff, Tish Koch (strategic plan facilitator), Michelle Fort Merrill, Gary Pickavet and Todd Butcher (standing) meet at the CASBO office in May.

Please send in your Out & About photos from CASBO events along with the names of the people in the photos and the event where the photo was taken. Digital photos may be sent to jjackson@casbo.org.

Fall 2009 | 49

CASBO book club

Book pick shows leadership can come from all levels For fall, the CASBO Book Club selection is “The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization,” by John C. Maxwell.

Maxwell, who has been teaching leadership for 30 years, in this book seeks to answer the question “How do I apply leadership principles if I am not the boss?” He suggests that you don’t have to be the “main leader” to have an impact on an organization.

In fact, Maxwell contends that good leaders cannot only lead their defined followers, but can learn how to lead their superiors and their peers. He uses this book to present specific principles for what he calls “leading down, leading up and leading across.”

Real-life stories and analogies are used to illustrate Maxwell’s principles, and each section of the book contains questions leaders should be asking themselves in order to improve their performance.

By applying the principles put forth in the book, Maxwell asserts that readers will expand their influence and ultimately become a more valuable team member.

“The 360 Degree Leader” was voted best business book of the year by Soundview Executive Book Summary subscribers. Join your CASBO colleagues in learning how to lead effectively, regardless of your position.

50 | California School Business

firstperson

CASBO Professional Development‌your advantage in critical times Molly McGee-Hewitt, CAE CASBO Assistant Executive Director, Professional Development

Daily, I hear from casbo members about how the current fiscal crisis has

impacted almost every aspect of their professional lives. You have to lay off

key personnel, assume additional job duties and responsibilities, lose valuable services or tools needed to do your job,

management is a noble profession as

recover. The professionals who have

in order to serve children we must work

their education and training will be in the

well. One does not trump the other, and in tandem with cooperation and respect.

World-class schools demand world-class professionals at all levels.

With that in mind, our members face

and professional development training

many challenges. Just as teachers need

Doing more with less has become the

to meet student needs, our members need

has been eliminated from your budgets. norm, rather than the exception.

Our members are the backbone of

the California public schools. You keep school districts, county offices of education and other educational agencies operating. Facilities are open, maintained,

and managed. Students have access to

continuing education to empower them professional development to enable them to provide their services with efficiency

and excellence. Continuing education is not a frill. It is a necessity.

casbo recognizes that the current

fiscal crisis will not last forever. We will

weathered this storm and continued

forefront. casbo’s goal is for every member, at all levels of school business, to be recognized as outstanding professionals

with excellent training and preparation

for their jobs. casbo members are dedicated professionals who will enable both sides of the educational house to weather

the current economy and prepare for success in the future.

casbo Professional Development is

your advantage in critical times. We stand with you and for you.

materials, food services, health services and transportation. Teachers can teach because the tools and facilities they need

are ready for them. You and I know this, but what about the rest of the educational community and general public?

My work with c a s b o and my

unique perspective. I began my career

in education as a classified employee, later worked as a classroom teacher and as a district office administrator. I even

served on a school board for a period of time. I believe in public education and I

believe in the people who make it possible. At the same time, I have seen evidence of the divide between the business and the instructional sides. I have never

understood the divide or the lack of respect that seems to accompany it. Teaching is a noble profession. School business

sudoku

history in public education give me a

answers on page 57

Fall 2009 | 51

Driving resources to the classroom

With budget restrictions growing tighter, now is the time to look to PARS for cost-saving retirement plans to achieve fiscal savings while helping you drive resources back to the classroom.

Contact us today and let us develop one for you!

Retirement Incentives CSBA GASB 45 Solutions Program Alternatives to Social Security

800.540.6369 ext 127 www.pars.org Š 2008 Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS). All rights reserved

52 | California School Business

The California School Boards Association, in association with Piper Jaffray & Co., has partnered with the California Association of School Business Officials, and enhanced the Certificates of Participation program.

û Fixed and variable interest rate options û Flexible prepayment provisions û Capitalized interest û Flexible repayment schedules û Low cost of issuance û Education Code 17406 financings

California School Boards Association

3100 Beacon Blvd. | West Sacramento, CA 95691 | 800.266.3382

Fall 2009 | 53

54 | California School Business

advertiserindex 403b Investment Advisors

Construction Management

Cooperative Purchasing

ZUK Financial Group (888) 488-8480 www.zukfinancial.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Roebbelen (916) 939-8319 www.roebbelen.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

The Cooperative Purchasing Network (713) 744-8133 www.tcpn.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Accounting, Auditing & Financial Services

SGI Construction Management (626) 395-7474 www.sgicm.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

U.S. Communities www.uscommunities.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Keenan & Associates (310) 212-0363 www.keenanassoc.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Consulting / Advocacy

Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co LLP (909) 466-4410 www.vtdcpa.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

School Innovations & Advocacy (800) 487-9234 www.sia-us.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Vicenti, Lloyd + Stutzman LLP (626) 857-7300 www.vlsllp.com Please see our ad on pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 & 54

Consulting Services

Architects

GASB 45 Solutions (916) 371-4691 www.csba.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

WLC Architects (909) 987-0909 www.wlc-architects.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

School Services of CA, Inc. (916) 446-7517 www.sscal.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Bond Counsel

Vicenti, Lloyd + Stutzman LLP (626) 857-7300 www.vlsllp.com Please see our ad on pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 & 54

Jones Hall (415) 391-5780 www.joneshall.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Contractors / Construction Management Bernards (818) 838-7923 www.bernards.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Drapes & Blinds American Blinds & Draperies, Inc. (510) 489-4760 www.americandrapes.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35

Emergency 24 Hour Services American Technologies, Inc. (800) 400-9353 www.amer-tech.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Eye Care VSP (800) 852-7600 www.vsp.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Faucets and Fittings Chicago Faucet Co. (847) 803-5000 www.chicagofaucets.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Financial and Human Resource Software Smartetools (760) 242-8890 www.smartetools.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Fall 2009 | 55

advertiserindex Windsor Management Group (888) 654-3293 www.infinitevisions.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Financial Consulting Services PFM Financial Services (800) 891-7910 www.casbo.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Financial Services Piper Jaffray & Co. (800) 876-1854 www.PJC.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 & 53 RBC Capital Markets (213) 362-4138 www.rbccapitalmarkets.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Legal Services

Retirement Benefits

Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo (562) 653-3200 www.aalrr.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Public Agency Retirement Service (800) 540-6369 #127 www.pars.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Jones Hall (415) 391-5780 www.joneshall.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Risk Management Services

Miller Brown & Dannis (562) 366-8500 www.mbdlaw.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP (413) 773-5494 www.orrick.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Mandate Reimbursment

Willdan (800) 424-9144 www.willdan.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

School Innovations & Advocacy (800) 487-9234 www.sia-us.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Stone & Youngberg LLC (800) 447-8663 www.syllc.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Network Solutions & Servers & PC Solutions

Fire & Water Damage Restoration American Technologies, Inc. (800) 400-9353 www.amer-tech.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Furniture Virco Manufacturing Corp.

(800) 813-4150 www.virco.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

Healthcare Services/Insurance California’s Valued Trust (559) 437-2960 www.cvtrust.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Insurance Services ASCIP (562) 403-4640 www.ascip.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF) (916) 321-5300 www.selfjpa.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Self Insured Schools of CA (SISC) (800) 972-1727 www.sisc.kern.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 American Fidelity Assurance Co. (866) 523-1857 www.afadvantage.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Janitorial Supplies & Maintenance Equipment Hillyard, Inc. (800) 365-1555 www.hillyard.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

56 | California School Business

Sehi Computer Products, Inc. (800) 346-6315 www.sehi.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

On-Demand Operations Management Software SchoolDude.com (877) 868-8021 www.schooldude.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Program Management Capital Program Management (916) 553-4400 www.capitalpm.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Program/Construction Management Seville Construction Services (626) 204-0800 www.sevillecs.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Public Finance KNN Public Finance (510) 839-8200 www.knninc.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 RBC Capital Markets (213) 362-4138 www.rbccapitalmarkets.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Stone & Youngberg LLC (800) 447-8663 www.syllc.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Rentals of Modular Buildings Mobile Modular (925) 606-9000 www.mobilemodularrents.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF) (916) 321-5300 www.selfjpa.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Roofing Systems and Repair The Garland Company Inc. (800) 321-9336 www.garlandco.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

School Bus Sales Service & Parts Creative Bus Sales (800) 326-2877 www.creativebussales.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

School Construction Northern California Carpenter’s Regional Council (510) 568-4788 www.nccrc.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Services/Utilities The Southern California Gas Company (800) 427-6584 www.socalgas.com/business/rebates/onBillFinancing.html Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Software Educational Resources (800) 852-8266 www.edresources.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Student Information Services Eagle Software (888) 487-7555 www.aeries.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Student Safety Seats C.E. White Company (239) 218-7078 www.cewhite.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Transportation Tyler Technologies (800) 433-5530 www.tylertech.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Wheelchair & Occupant Securement Systems Q’straint (954) 986-6665 www.qstraint.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

advertiserindex

sudoku

BASIC DESIGN

American Blinds & Draperies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35 American Fidelity Assurance Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 American Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 ASCIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Bernards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 C.E. White Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 California’s Valued Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Capital Program Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Chicago Faucet Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Creative Bus Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Eagle Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Educational Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 GASB 45 Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Hillyard, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Jones Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Keenan & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 KNN Public Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Miller Brown & Dannis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Mobile Modular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Northern California Carpenter’s Regional Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 PFM Financial Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Piper Jaffray & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 & 53 Public Agency Retirement Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Q’straint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 RBC Capital Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Roebbelen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 School Innovations & Advocacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 School Services of CA, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 SchoolDude.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Sehi Computer Products, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Self Insured Schools of CA (SISC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Seville Construction Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 SGI Construction Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Smartetools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Stone & Youngberg LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Cooperative Purchasing Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Garland Company Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 The Southern California Gas Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Tyler Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 U.S. Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Vicenti, Lloyd + Stutzman LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 & 54 Virco Manufacturing Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover VSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Willdan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Windsor Management Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 WLC Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 ZUK Financial Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

CHILD RESTRAINT

AD PAGE INDEX

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The California School Boards Association partners with highly qualified consultants to provide districts/county offices with a comprehensive one-stop, low cost GASB 45 Solutions Program.

We have a GASB 45 compliant

from page 51

and an Internal Revenue Service approved Section 115 trust.

1.800.266.3382 | www.csba.org

Sponsored by: Piper Jaffray & Co. Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS) U.S. Bank Institutional Trust FAF Advisors CSBA and the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association

Fall 2009 | 57

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My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit.

He told me to try to be in the first group.

There is much less competition. ~ Indira Gandhi

68.3% In 2007-08, 68.3 percent of public school students in California graduated, up from 67.7 percent last year. The adjusted four-year derived dropout rate for the same school year is 20.1 percent, down from 21.1 percent last year.

22

MILLION Nearly 22 million school days are lost annually due to the common cold alone.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists. ~ Eric Hoffer

Source: California Department of Education

Until all of us have made it, none of us have made it. ~ Rosemary Brown

Approximate percentage of the U.S. population that attends or works in schools.

Source: U.S. Department of Education

58 | California School Business

Š CASBO 2009

20%

Offered through PFM Financial Services LLC CO-SPONSORED BY CASBO AND ACSA

Fall 2009 | 59

60 | California School Business