Write a Letter: Support Our Schools

Big Bear, Ca, February 3, 2012, 12:00pm – Due to the recent announcement by Governor Brown regarding the cutting of funds for the Home-to-School transportation budget by $800,000 in the Bear Valley Unified School District, a few concerned teachers and parents are taking action. The cuts proposed would force the removal of school bus service from our valley, resulting in many children being forced to find their own way to school. On February 7^th at 5:00 PM at Big Bear Middle School, there will be a letter writing campaign to encourage the legislative budget committee to pass SB 81, which would repeal the cuts from school transportation.  Jill Zamoyta, former teacher, concerned parent and wife of Paul Zamoyta, one of BVUSD’s trustees, is helping lead the cause and told KBHR that “Taking away busing in Big Bear would be devastating to not only schools and children, but also families and the economy in general. No transportation means reduced attendance, thereby reducing the amount of funds coming into the district that have been decimated by the state. In addition, the logistical consequences, such as traffic at school sites during drop-off and pick-up, would present a huge problem, and possibly be dangerous as well.”  The organizers of the letter writing event are asking for every community member to come and spend a few minutes writing a letter to express the devastating impact these cuts would cause, and to ask legislators to pass SB 81 when it comes up for a vote.  Zamoyta added “It’s a small effort for what will be a big return if we can save transportation in our community.”

BVUSD Regular Meeting Further Outlines Parcel Tax Idea

Big Bear, CA, February 2, 2012, 12noon: At last night’s regular board meeting of the Bear Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, during the public comment section of the meeting several parents spoke on behalf of dismissed Middle School aide, Ken O’Hare.  The distressed speakers outlined Mr. O’Hare’s dedication to students and their potential to protest his firing that occurred earlier during closed session.  It is unclear as the reason for Mr. O’Hare’s dismissal but speakers made reference to an inappropriate text message.  The District Board and administration does not publicly comment on employee personnel issues and his dismissal, and reason for it, was not made public by the District.  Fifty or so community members and district staff attended the meeting at the Middle School seemingly primarily for information about the District’s financial status and potential upcoming Parcel Tax.  The Board adopted a resolution against the elimination of home-to-school transportation and Special Education transportation funding citing harm to low-income students in rural California for disproportionate program and service reductions compared to all other students in this state.  Additionally, the resolution urges our politicians to reverse the State Budget action in regards to cutting transportation funding.  A presentation of the Parcel Tax parameters was to be outlined last night by consultant Charles Heath of TBWB Strategies, however, Mr. Heath was unable to attend and the item was pulled from the agenda in closed session.  There was much discussion about the budget crisis and as Walter Con, Director of Business Services, stated that budget information is changing quickly but it is predicted that the school financial outlook for the State of California will not improve until 2016 or later.  A few community members spoke on behalf of a Parcel Tax with opinions from both extremes being represented.  Erwin Lake resident, Michael Perry, indicated that he believes what the politicians are doing to our children’s education is criminal.  He spoke in support of a Parcel Tax where we could spend the money directly for our students and the only question left being how much money is needed.  Mr. Perry believes that a Parcel Tax will pass if it is explained adequately to our residents.  He informed the Board not to be afraid to get the bad news out as soon as possible and don’t sugarcoat it.  Conversely, Joseph Cottrell of Big Bear City, followed with his statements that he has paid his taxes to Sacramento and if the Board wants his money, that’s where they should go to get it.  Lastly, Big Bear Lake resident, Linda Ricchiuti, spoke stating that the Board needs to think hard before going down this road because there is no going back.  Following, Superintendent Kurt Madden, outlined what needs to be done next in regards to the Parcel Tax including a feasibility study, organizing community support and getting people out to vote.  The procedural timeline to implement a parcel tax brings us to approximately June 21^st, or later, for the Parcel Tax vote.  Details such as how much money is needed was discussed at length as Board Trustee, Paul Zamoyta, outlined a financial comparison of how much the tax would need to be to take our District to the top or to just be average compared to other districts.  Current discussions have indicated that the tax may be in the $50 or $60 range in order to ensure a successful vote.  A $50 tax would provide approximately $1.5 million dollars in revenue to our schools.  But as Mr. Zamoyta stated, he isn’t advocating a high tax but that the public can’t expect a “Cadillac” education for that amount.  Board member, Randy Putz, also stated that the Parcel Tax would give our community the opportunity to decide how important education is to them.  Implementation of a Special Board Workshop for the community to continue discussion on the issue was presented and will be determined where and when tomorrow.  Stay tuned to Kbear for details.

School Board Meeting To Discuss Parcel Tax Parameters

Big Bear, Ca, February 1, 2012, 12:00pm - The Bear Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet tonight for their regularly scheduled meeting.  Student representatives from Big Bear High School and Chautauqua High School will provide the board with updated on what is going on at their schools, and the BVUSD Governing Board will recognize the Maintenance and Operations Department for their efforts in restoring the art room at Big Bear High School.   The board will discuss a compressed natural gas bus piggyback bid purchase, coaching assignments at Big Bear High, will announce a new special education teacher that is set to be hired at the meeting, and will discuss and possibly approve a resolution regarding home to school transportation, and present the parameters of the parcel tax idea.  The public is welcome to attend the meeting that starts at 6:30pm tonight at the Big Bear Middle School Library.

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Bear Valley School District Budget Advisory Committee Meeting

Big Bear, CA, January 30, 2012, 12noon:  Last Thursday, the Budget Advisory Committee of the Bear Valley School District met to receive a status update in regards to Governor Brown’s proposed 2012-2013 State Budget and to begin discussion of potential expenditure reductions.  The Committee, which was formed in 2008, is comprised of District administrators, school and union representatives, parents and community members who will begin reviewing items in the budget for potential reduction which, ultimately, is decided upon and presented by the Superintendent, Kurt Madden.  Committee members were appraised of the discussions from the Board Workshop meeting of January 25^th in which it was revealed that Governor Brown is proposing the elimination of home to school transportation.  For our District, that annual cost is approximately $830K.  The Governor is also proposing a $7 billion dollar tax-initiative, Prop 98 that, if it doesn’t pass, will result in an additional $960K cut in funding and the possible elimination of three weeks of school.  So, at the next Budget Advisory Committee meeting on February 6^th, the committee will, once again, begin the grueling process of revisiting the list of 85 potential areas for budget cuts as well as reviewing new areas of possible budget reductions.  Additionally, the Committee was informed of a letter our school district received from Gary Thomas, County Superintendent of Schools, that outlined the implications of having a “Qualified Certification” that indicates our district may not be able to meet our financial obligations.  Walter Con, Director of Business Services, stated that this is the first time the District has received such a letter, although the District has in the past received a “Qualified Certification”.  Of the 33 schools in San Bernardino County, 11 schools, including Bear Valley, currently have a “Qualified Certification” and have been assigned a fiscal expert from the County to assist the district in determining an on-going fiscal plan of action.  To further emphasize the urgency of this financial crisis, if a solution cannot be implemented; the County could assign a fiscal advisor who would rescind the authority of the School Board.  In a short period of time, the District needs to find solutions to this crisis and are working towards a Parcel Tax to help fund our Valley schools.

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Bear Valley Unified School District Budget Board Workshop

Big Bear, CA, January 26, 2012, 5:50pm: UPDATE: According to Federal law, home to school transportation must be provided to Special Education students if it is deemed necessary as part of their Individual Educational Plan or IEP.  Big Bear, CA, January 26, 2012, 12noon: At last night’s Board Workshop meeting of the Bear Valley Unified School District, Board Trustees, district administration and many members of the community, as well as teachers and classified employees of the district, met to discuss and explore alternative funding sources for educating the students of the Valley.  With the recent budget information released from Governor Brown’s office in Sacramento, the financial outlook for BVUSD is bleak.  Astonishingly, the Governor is proposing eliminating bus transportation for students.  To our district, that is approximately an $830K cut in the budget.  Additionally, $960K in non-transportation budget cuts is necessary now.  The Governor is proposing a tax initiative, that would need a two-thirds vote to pass, that would fund transportation costs but, if it does not pass, the school district will have to find a way to fund the $830K busing cost as it mandated by Federal law that students must be provided transportation to school.  Superintendent Kurt Madden outlined the possible funding options that may be available for the District, which included a Parcel Tax, GO Bond and grant opportunities.  The Parcel Tax and GO Bond options dominated last night’s discussion with the Board allowing for public comments and questions throughout the meeting.   Following much discussion, the Board agreed that a Parcel Tax would be the best route to explore as it would allow the District to receive funds to meet more immediate needs faster and with better direction, if passed, than a GO Bond that would primarily fund capital improvements.  Walter Con, Assistant Superintendent of Business for the District, used the example of switching to solar power for the schools in order to save money on electricity that could then fund other school programs.  As time is of the essence with the budget crisis, Board members ultimately dismissed the idea of a GO Bond.  However a lot of work will need to be done in order to get the community educated and involved in passing a Parcel Tax.  As Liz Harris, Big Bear Lake City Council member in attendance commented, parent groups and grass roots organizations from the community will need to get behind the campaign.  The BVUSD Board members made it very clear that we need to concentrate on our students and teachers during this budget crisis.  At this time, other business is temporarily on hold, including a possible reconfiguration of schools, until the budget issues are resolved.  The District administration and consultant will now create a timeline of how to proceed and iron out the specifics needed to create a Parcel Tax.  Meanwhile, Sharon Meager, a teacher at Big Bear Middle School, is organizing a letter writing campaign to local, state and federal representatives urging them to help during this financial crisis.  The event will be held at the Middle School on February 7^th beginning at 5pm and members of the community are encouraged to participate.

School is Back In Session, Watch For School Buses

Big Bear, Ca, January 17, 2011, 8:00am - The Spring Semester for Bear Valley Unified School District students started back up today, and KBHR would like to remind motorists of rules of the road concerning school buses. BVUSD bus stops are located through out the valley, with some stops located on busy roadways such as Big Bear Blvd. and North Shore Drive. The law requires the driver of a school bus to activate the red lights at all times when stopped for the purpose of loading and unloading students. Motorists must stop on a two-lane road when a bus is stopped with red lights flashing, however, on a four lane divided highway, such as the Big Bear Blvd between Pine Knot and Stanfield, the opposing two lanes of travel do not stop. We urge you to pass any bus pulled over with caution, as children can be unpredictable no matter how safe the situation. For more information, please call school transportation at 584-7658.

BVUSD Budget Advisory Commitee Talks Finances

Big Bear, Ca, December 21, 2011, 12:00pm - At last week’s Bear Valley Unified School District’s Budget Advisory Committee meeting, Walter Con, Assistant Superintendent of Business, delivered the first Interim Financial Report Budget Update to the committee that consists of teachers, parents and school administration representatives.  As expected, the California Department of Finance has released its financial forecast stating that revenues will fall short $2.2 billion for the current year.  Therefore, additional cuts will need to be made to the BVUSD’s budget at a total estimated cut to be approximately $456,000 which includes a $13.00 cut to the ADA or average daily attendance.  It had previously been estimated that the cuts would have been in the realm of approximately $1.1 million dollars so although the budget cuts, for now, are expected to be less than half that amount, it is also predicted that these mid-year cuts are only the beginning.  The Department of Finance states that more cuts for 2012/2013 will be forthcoming when California Governor, Jerry Brown, releases his proposed budget for next year on January 10^th.  Foreseeing this forecast, recommendations have already been made to the Bear Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees for possible budget reduction items.  Walter Con stated that, in his opinion, salary roll backs, furlough days or a combination of both, will need to be implemented for the school district to meet their budget limits, however, these steps would need to be negotiated with the district’s respective unions.  Teacher, Debbie Burton, stated at the meeting that the public needs to know that, as a community, when we don’t vote for school taxes, it really hurts our kids.  Ms. Burton added, “We’re down to bear bones”.  The next meeting of the Budget Advisory Committee will be on January 26^th and are open to the public.

Kriss Proctor Named MVP In Last Game

Big Bear, Ca, December 12, 2011, 12:00pm - Big Bear’s Kriss Proctor said goodbye to the football field on Saturday after the Naval Academy played the United States Military Academy in the arch rival game.  This was Proctors last game as the Navy Quarterback, as he will be graduating from the Naval Academy and has been assigned the position of Naval Flight Officer in the United States Navy.   Proctor scored the first touchdown, and later a second, helping Navy win their 10^th straight game against Army, resulting in Proctor being named as the most valuable player of the game.   Many locals tuned in and watched the game to cheer on Proctor, and members from Coldwell banker, and Proctors family attended the game that was held in Landover, Maryland, just north of Washington DC.  President Barack Obama was even in attendance at the football game that has been occurring for the last 112 years.  KBHR congratulates Proctor on a great finish to the season, and wishes him luck in his future endeavors.

Financial Aid Night Offers Help At High School

Big Bear, Ca, December 5, 2011, 12:00pm - Big Bear High School Juniors and Seniors and their parents are invited to attend Financial Aid Night at the high school tonight at 6:30pm.  The informational session will take place in the Media Center, and will include an hour and half presentation on financial aid.  Students and parents will walk away with information on scholarship websites, cost comparison sheets on different college options, information on vocational schools, community colleges, and four-year universities.  One very helpful service counselors Lisa Schour and Rob Benson will be offering is a line by line walk through of the FAFSA form, which is the main form students will need to fill out for financial aid.  This service is offered every year to help prepare students for College.  For more information call the high school at 585-6892.

BBHS Boys Cross Country Teams Headed To State Championships

Big Bear, Ca, November 21, 2011, 12:00pm - The Big Bear High School boys Cross Country team went to CIF championships this past weekend at Mt. SAC in Southern California.  The top 17 teams out of 80 schools in the CIF division competed at the CIF Championships.  Big Bear High School finished 4th overall at the championships.  This year the top four teams had faster times than previous CIF championship meets at Mt. SAC.  Big Bear High School senior Bryan Hayes, who has been on the cross country team since he was a sophomore, finished 52^nd  last year, and came in 2^nd overall this year.  Coach Jonathan Stiles told KBHR the team’s goal was to go to state championships, and now they will get to; as the top seven teams from CIF divisions will go onto compete at the state level!  Team members include Bryan Hayes, Bobby Moralez, Evan Johnson, Caleb Webb, Dillon Murphy, Dakota Rochelle, and David Caballero. The team will compete at state championships in Fresno on Saturday 26^th, and KBHR congratulates them for their hard work, and wishes them luck at state championships!

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