Moment of silence held for former Superintendent Dr. Julian Crocker
PASO ROBLES — A moment of silence was held for the former superintendent of the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) and San Luis Obispo County superintendent of schools, who passed away last week. Dr. Julian Crocker served the county for 16 years before retiring in 2015. He served as the PRJUSD superintendent for nine years and took on the interim superintendent role in 2019.
Current PRJUSD Superintendent Dr. Curt Dubost shared his condolences in a Facebook post, describing Crocker as “the classiest educator” and one of the most admirable men he had the privilege of knowing.
In remembrance of Crocker, his family has requested that donations be made to the Julian Crocker Community Scholarship Fund. Contributions can be sent to the fund through the Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County, located at 550 Dana St. in San Luis Obispo.
The PRJUSD Board of Trustees approved the base pay salary for the new superintendent — who has not been chosen yet and will start in July of next year. The base pay for new superintendent will be at $215,000. The new salary was passed unanimously by the board.
Additionally, the Superintendent Search Subcommittee will hold a meeting to receive public input in January. More details on the meeting will be available in December.
Concerns about the safety of the Georgia Brown (36th Street) campus have prompted increased concerns from the community, citing possible “structural” weaknesses in the buildings. In response, a limited report was commissioned in May by the Sacramento-based engineering firm Miyamoto International for the three classroom wings. The report involved a review of available as-built drawings, a site visit to assess visible structural conditions, and the preparation of a letter report detailing findings, conclusions, and suggested next steps. The cost of this investigation was $6,000.
At the Nov. 14 board meeting, staff requested three quotes to provide a comprehensive inspection and report. However, those proposals have not been received.
Trustee Dorian Baker motioned to approve staff moving forward with another inspection, saying, “There is nothing is more important to this board and our staff than the safety and well-being of our children and our staff and the children’s families that come onto the campus.”
The trustees unanimously approved directing staff to move forward with conducting another more comprehensive inspection of the campus. Staff can now approve up to $25,000 in purchases. If any quotes are less than that amount, they can proceed after the Nov. 14 board meeting. However, if the quotes exceed $25,000, they will be required to wait until December to proceed.
The next Paso Robles Joint Unified School District meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m.
