Interim superintendent addresses rumors of program cuts
James Brescia says he is committed to transparency while serving the district
Paso Robles Public Schools Interim Superintendent James Brescia, center, addresses the crowd on Wednesday morning at the school district office.
Information was dispersed and questions were answered during a meeting led by Paso Robles Public Schools Interim Superintendent James Brescia on Wednesday morning at the school district office. An email, sent out to members of the press on June 27, extended an invitation to meet with Brescia in reference to “some misconception about the FY14-15 budget for Paso Robles Public Schools.”
The meeting, according to the email, was set forth “in an effort to clarify and disseminate the facts.” Those facts, and the perceived misconceptions, were in a battle for the truth since the most recent Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting, held on June 24.
Although the highlight of that meeting was the elimination of all remaining furlough days for the upcoming 2014-15 school year – furlough days have been a subject of contention for school staff and parents since 2011 – the announcement of a funding formula change and possible budget shortfall that may lead to cuts in programs throughout the district is what has been on the minds of a number of concerned citizens throughout the community.
Addressing the budget concerns, Brescia assured those in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting that “everyone who has a job will keep their job” in the school district. When asked why the trustees were not informed of the change to the funding formula until minutes before their Board meeting, Brescia said the information was relayed when he received it. The board subsequently passed a $56.6 million budget for the fiscal year 2014-15 before the end of the meeting on June 24.
“There was a lot of transition going on leading up to the day of the last board meeting,” Brescia said, referring to the retirement of Kathleen McNamara’s term as superintendent. McNamara was hired to lead the district in 2007. “I am committed to making sure all of the information is on the table and that the Trustees will have as much information as I have. Everything is going to be open, transparent, and up-front.”
Jim Lynett, executive director of the teachers union, spoke up to congratulate Brescia on the way he has handled the transition for the district since he has been hired. “You helped us restore furlough days, you are committed to transparency, and you started out on the right foot,” Lynett said to Brescia. Attendees at Wednesday’s meeting were given a copy of the 2013-2014 Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) Snapshot for Paso Robles Joint Unified School District with a figure of $42,424,876 figure being the approximate funding amount verified by the County Office of Education.
Brescia said he estimates that for 2014-2015 district funding will increase enough to completely restore the furlough days, fund employment offers recently made, and provide partial funding for the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) recently approved by the trustees. Furthermore, a handout had comments from Brescia stating that the district management team met with him to prioritize the LCAP items and that he will “present this priority list to the trustees at the July meeting to determine which priorities can be implemented immediately and which will be implemented as additional funding is secured.”
The handout also showed that several fiscal factors have yet to be fully identified including “any 2013-14 carryover or unspent monies, any additional 2014-15 funds provided by the state; and any additional 2014-15 site funding that site administrators wish to apply towards LCAP priorities.” “It is my hope that by working together to present potential funding solutions the majority of the LCAP priorities can be implemented for the 2014-2015 school year,” Brescia stated.
A 12-year district employee, Karri Graves, was in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting. A Student Information Specialist, Graves said she felt that when the LCAP was originally drawn up, the amount of funds needed for the reinstatement of furlough days was not taken into consideration. “The furlough days being reinstated is great — that is what the teachers have been asking for all along,” Graves said. “In addition, there are a lot of new programs that the district has been considering implementing for awhile now. What is going to happen to some of the new programs and some of the existing programs? Will the budget allow for everything that has been promised?”
Following the meeting, board member Joan Summers said she has been very happy with Brescia’s performance as the interim superintendent. “He met with each of us one-on-one right away,” Summers said. “I had not experienced that before. He has been very transparent.” “Transparency creates trust,” Brescia said, pledging to provide regular updates on the fiscal health of the district. There has been a communication disconnect and I want to work on that. I want to have open dialogue. There are a lot of intelligent people in this district and throughout this community; they should have the information they need to make decisions.”
Budget workshop
Lynett said the Capitol Advisors Group will conduct a Budget Perspectives Workshop on the Budget Act at the SLO County Office of Education Board Room, located at 3350 Education in San Luis Obispo on July 10 from 2:30- 5 p.m.
Brescia is the current interim superintendent of the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District and the San Luis Obispo County Superintendent of Schools Elect.
“They will have the most current information on the State budget,” he said.
Interim superintendent to be available for public discussion
Brescia will meet with the public on a weekly basis this summer at the Cider Creek Restaurant in Paso Robles. These informal visits will occur weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 – 9:30 a.m. beginning on July 7 and continuing through Aug. 6.
More about James Brescia
Brescia is a 25-year Paso Robles resident, a former district teacher and currently the interim superintendent of the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District. He is the San Luis Obispo County Superintendent of Schools Elect and a clinical faculty member in the Educational Leadership & Administration Program at Cal Poly. Brescia, according to information on the Cal Poly faculty website, completed his administrative services credential at Cal Poly, SLO, his doctorate at the University of California, Santa Barbara and an additional graduate degree from Cal State Dominguez Hills. He has served as a principal at the elementary, middle and high level, migrant education program specialist, chief human resources officer, chief business official and development director. Most recently, he served as the superintendent for Cayucos Elementary School District.
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