Unruly News & Updates

Friday, February 4, 2005

ESUHSD, Inc.: A Property Management Firm?

Word came down from the district last week that summer school would only be held at half of the district’s eleven campuses. Two seemingly valid reasons were given for this decision: Measure G construction will begin at a few sites, and running fewer schools will save general fund monies by reducing operating costs. Similar situations have taken place in the past. For example, a number of campuses shared summer school duties when Measure A construction took place nearly a decade ago.

It’s another part of the district’s summer school proposal that is bizarre and disturbing.

The district recognizes that some schools have special programs that operate during the summer. The district said they will allow those programs to continue at any site, just as long as the schools themselves provide for teacher’s salary. Covering a teacher’s salary to open a class for a program has been a standard procedure for many years. What’s new? Besides the salary, the district wants the schools to also pay for facility use, janitorial services, energy use, and supplies.

It’s one thing to charge an organization unaffiliated with the school district to use a facility; it’s another to charge your own teachers rent to run programs that are part of the school’s, and therefore the district’s, course offerings.

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