High School welding class creates “Paso Strong” fundraiser for SLO Food Bank

PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, May 25 at 6 p.m. following closed session.

Trustees Lance Gannon and Nathan Williams were absent during the meeting.

The Board started on item K3: 2021-22 Sunshine Proposal for Paso Robles Public Educators (PRPE) and PRJUSD School-Based on the federal and state funding. The PRPE proposed a salary schedule increase, additional and increased stipends. In addition, an increase to the District Health and Welfare Benefits and retiree benefits CAP to support the PRJUSD Guiding Principles goals to attract and retain qualified certificated employees was tabled for the next school board meeting.

There were two newly appointed positions.

Monica Pafumi, a PRJUSD graduate, was named Elementary Guidance Specialist for Virginia Peterson and Glen Speck.

Kelly Stainbrook, a 25 year veteran of Paso Robles Schools, was named Director of Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation.

Justin Pickard updated the board on the welding department at the high school and their community service projects.

Students have collaborated with local businesses PRW Steel Supply, Powder Coating USA, and Premier Ag to create 125 “Paso Strong” yard stake signs.

Signs will be sold starting Tuesday, Jun. 2 at Premier Ag for $25 each. Other forms will be available for those who want to make larger donations. All proceeds will be donated to the SLO County Food Bank on behalf of Paso Robles High School Welding.

Trustee Chris Bausch purchased a sign from Pickard for $100 during the meeting.

During public comment, many parents asked for the school to return to full-in-person learning without a mask or vaccine mandate in the fall. No comments were made by the Board to address the topic.

The District held the first public hearing for Trustee Area Scenarios.

From the items description:

“The District’s Board of Trustees is currently elected under an “at-large” election system, where trustees are elected by voters of the entire District. Seven trustees are elected in even-numbered years and serve staggered four-year terms. On Feb. 26, 2019, the Board adopted Resolution No. 19-15, a Resolution Approving Authorization to Initiate a Transition to a By-Trustee Area Election System Commencing with the 2022 Governing Board Election. This resolution proposed the change would be based on 2020 census data, which has been delayed due to the COVID pandemic. On Apr. 27, 2021, the Board therefore adopted Resolution 21-22 to reaffirm the decision, but to use 2010 census data to draw the initial maps. Those maps would be reviewed and possibly revised prior to the 2022 election once the 2020 census data is released.”

The district has posted information regarding this transition on the Business Department website under California Voting Right Act (CVRA). There you will find information on this transition, including the Trustee Area Process. Four conceptual Trustee Area maps are also on the CVRA page for your information and viewing in detail.”

There are interactive maps representing four different scenarios and more information available by visiting pasoschools.org/Page/2039.

The second hearing will be on Jun. 8, and the third and final public hearing will be on Jun. 22.

Trustee Bausch requested items J1: Approve Board of Trustees’ Meeting Minutes and J6: Approve Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between PRJUSD and San Luis Obispo County Office of Education (SLOCOE). This would allow the SLOCOE School Administrator to provide services to the District to be removed from the consent agenda.

Bausch had a minor adjustment to J1 minutes, which was approved 5-0.

After receiving clarification on J6, the item was approved 5-0.

Erin Haley, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, presented plans for funds provided by Assembly Bill 86.

“Assembly Bill (AB) 86 introduced two new funding streams to local educational agencies (LEAs) using Proposition 98 resources: the In-Person Instruction and Expanded Learning Opportunity Grants.

The total allocation to Paso Robles in the Expanded Learning Opportunity Grant is $4,632,038, of which 10 percent must be spent on paraprofessionals as defined in Education Code Section 45330.”

The district plans to use the funds in the following ways:

Extended Instructional Learning Time:

Summer school grades 1-12 for 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years
Saturday school opportunities and before/after school tutoring to support any student who requires additional assistance with classes
Kinder camp and orientation for all students new to PRJUSD campuses
Hiring additional certificated and classified staff to support the acceleration of progress in literacy and mathematics at the elementary level
Intervention teachers will be hired at elementary sites, and intervention sections will be incorporated into the master schedule at secondary sites
Increase the hours of our paraeducators to provide more comprehensive support during the school day and into the on-campus, afterschool programs.
Leverage early literacy professional development opportunities to all certificated and classified staff at the elementary setting in combination with the purchase of a common intervention program to provide targeted, measurable support through our intervention model referenced above
Two certificated FTE positions to maintain a distance learning program for those families who elect to continue on this model while the rest of the district returns to in-person instruction in the Fall
Add a Curriculum Coordinator to support the alignment of our work across sites alongside our Principals, classroom teachers, and paraeducators

Funds will also be used towards:

Accelerating progress to close learning gaps through the implementation, expansion, or enhancement of learning supports
Integrated student supports to address other barriers to learning
Supports for credit deficient students to complete graduation or grade promotion requirements and to increase or improve students’ college eligibility
Additional academic services for students
Training for school staff on strategies to engage students and families in addressing students’ social-emotional health and academic needs

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Jun. 8, with a general session at 6 p.m.