The following is a roundup of the Sept. 8 San Bruno Park School District meeting.
District recognizes students, tenured teachers
The district started off the meeting with several presentations, including a special recognition of the Parkside Intermediate School student council officers for this school year and a special recognition of the district's newly tenured teachers.
Parkside Principal Angela Addiego announced the students (all girls) and district President Kevin Martinez led the students in taking their oath of office. The students received medals and Parkside letters as part of the recognition.
The district also publicly recognized eight recently tenured teachers. The teachers included Rebecca Barton Reddy, a special education teacher at Rollingwood Elementary, Loralie Baum, a seventh-grade language arts teacher at Parkside, and Sarah Horspool, a reading intervention teacher at Belle Air Elementary.
Report on summer school
Superintendent Dr. David Hutt gave a report on the summer school program that took place from July to August at Allen Elementary. He reported that 228 students, or 10 percent of the districtwide student population, attended summer school, with most students being first- through third-graders. Books and materials were provided, Hutt said, but teachers also brought in their own materials to supplement their resources. Hutt recommended that the district's summer school program be continued next year, but whether that happens will be determined by available funding.
District approves establishing technology center at El Crystal
The district unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding that would establish the Danford Center for Innovation in Technology at El Crystal Elementary. Hutt noted that the school district has had a longtime relationship with the Krause Center for Innovation at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills to provide professional development for teachers and incentives for incorporating technology into their classrooms.
Hutt said the Krause Center will be partnering with the Danford Foundation to establish a North County location for the center at El Crystal, which will be used to enhance teaching and learning. El Crystal Principal Skip Johnson was recognized for his efforts in helping to establish the center.
Parkside construction project up for bid
The district unanimously approved the recommendation to begin advertising for bids on the first phase of the Parkside construction project. The first phase of the project includes completing the design for the modular buildings proposed to be developed at the school as well as construction, which is expected to begin in the spring. Todd Lee, who manages the district's construction projects, said the first phase of the project is expected to cost $12.9 million rather than the anticipated $12.32 million because of some unforeseen utility costs that will need to be addressed.
District sets timetable for spending money from sale of Sandberg site
The school district approved 4-1 (with board member Jim Prescott dissenting) a recommended calendar of projects in which the district will be spending money from the $30.5 million sale of the former Carl Sandberg site. The schedule includes $12 million in funding for retirement benefits, special education, technology upgrades and maintenance equipment. Because the district was able to take advantage of a special provision in the state's education code, money will also now be freed up from the district's general fund this year to help with general operations.
