The Desert IndependentTM

Serving Blythe, California & the Desert Regions of the Southwest

School Board Meeting Notes

By Robert E. Jensen
The Desert Independent

BLYTHE, Calif – Activity prior to Tuesday’s School Board meeting began with the picnic and rally for the California School Employee’s Association held in the park for two hours. Very scary people there – janitors, secretaries, nurses, teacher’s aides, groundsmen, maintenance, bus drivers – all bringing their families, scarfing down hot dogs and hamburgers and making plans for making an assertive entrance to the regularly scheduled board meeting at 6:00 PM.

Labor representatives gave a pep rally and mentioned both at the rally and in the meeting that this district has made the deepest cuts in the classified staff – one in five have been laid off – than any other district in Southern California. The brunt of the budget shortfall has been laid at their feet. These are our neighbors, relatives, friends that have been cut. No teachers have been cut or any administrators, per se. Positions have been cut that have either been vacated by resignations, non-reelections and retirements as well as the reduced class size programs for grades 1-2-3. At least 37 of these great people that were not recruited from other nations or states that live in this town and contribute to it unlike the “Carpetbaggers” currently haunting the DO. They are the ones facing unemployment, lack of insurance, foreclosures, repossessions and all the other wonderful things that can happen in unemployment during a recession.

“Fair Share – NOT Full Share” was the slogan on the signs as these affected people and supporters entered the DO for the meeting. We were told beforehand that there would be parents and kids there for Science Fair projects and discussion over start times for next year. CSEA members graciously allowed these people to be seated and spillover from the group retreated to the lobby until such time as people left and more chairs could be found. Two of Blythe Police’s finest also graced the lobby, although one wondered why.

Students of the Month were introduced and Science Fair winners were given their due. Jacob Jensen did redeem his career by acting as “Vanna White” parading the student projects around the board room so they could be seen. Dr. Jensen segued into his report which was truly presented again by Dr. Stier, Olivia Aguirre, and Marty Braden. He did make a Freudian “slip” when he mentioned the “FAA Banquet” and how the Board had been given a Certificate of Appreciation by our local “FAA”. Sorry, head must be in the clouds again. The Federal Aviation Administration governs his flight time, the Future Farmers of America (headed by Mark Mullion) had yet another great showing at the Fair.

Board Member Robin Wellman showed true boardsmanship by explaining the root of our current school funding dilemma. Instead of recounting (as did other BOT members) the gustatory delights of attending Cinco de Mayo school celebrations and JROTC banquets, Mr. Wellman took it upon himself to attend a CSEA function in Palm Springs in which four legislators were set to appear to defend the UberGovernator’s budget. Not one had the temerity to show. Mr. Wellman also went on to speak of the history of Prop 98, it’s promise of never less than 39% of any year’s budget to the schools, and how this year it has been kicked to the wayside.

The Open Hearing session didn’t bring about any new items. Just several speakers that mentioned that talks would be held tomorrow in the DO with Dr. Whitney to see how those that have been “Left Behind” – such as the two groundskeepers that now have to do the work of six – can possibly be expected to bear up to three times the workload.

The other item that has been made much of during the past three months was the adoption of a new schedule for next year that would have “flip-flopped” the start times for the secondary and elementary schools. Letters to the Editor have been written, petitions circulated, meetings held and phone lines have burned regarding this issue. When it came to the board for adoption, the attitude quickly became an “if it ain’t broke, why fix it?” questions. As such the board, quickly pulled the plug on this issue and left the matter as is. Dr. Guith, however, wanted to bewail the starting times for Appleby and Ruth Brown and flip-flop them. It took words from two Principals and the Transportation Director to again convince the board to not “tweak” anything that wasn’t essentially broke.

As the meeting came to the close, Board President Shipley showed a bit of class by thanking the Classified for their decorum during the meeting and hoping that everything will come around in it’s own due time.

However, as more than a few people mentioned as they filed out, trust is the uttermost issue. The current administration is clearly not trusted to do the right things. There have been too many examples of the upper echelons acting in their own self-interest and in reprehensible personnel job actions.

Just ask me about it sometime.