Trustees appoint principals for Ramona Community, James Dukes Elementary

Effective July 1, Ramona High School Assistant Principal Kathryn Gunderson will be the new principal at Ramona Community School and Vista High School Assistant Principal Joy Harris will be principal at James Dukes Elementary.

In addition, Mt. Woodson Elementary Principal Theresa Grace will join Ramona Unified District administrators as senior director of education services. Trustees directed Superintendent Robert Graeff to prepare a contract for Grace and are expected to approve the contract at their June 6 meeting.

Employee cuts erase red ink from school budget

For the first time in three years, Ramona Unified School District’s projected budget shows no red ink.

While revenues have stayed relatively the same — about $45.5 million — expenses have dropped, the result of salary and/or benefit concessions from district employees, Assistant Superintendent David Ostermann said during his budget update May 16. The district continues to spend more than it receives, but ending balances for this school year and the next two show no deficits.

Ramona Parents Coalition’s “Fact or Fiction” presentation tonight in library

Ramona Parents Coalition will present “Fact or Fiction,” results of its independent fact-finding efforts regarding the dispute between the school district and teachers union, tonight at 7 in the Ramona Library Community Room.

Promising an impartial and unbiased report, a flyer announcing the public meeting encourages the community to “Be informed! What to the proposed cuts really mean to our teachers, children, and community?”

RHS football program’s annual Lift-a-thon scheduled for May 21

The 8th Annual Ramona High School Bulldog Football Lift-a-thon, which coach Damon Baldwin refers to as “the lifeline of our program,” is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Dawg House (RHS gym).

“The lift-a-thon has been a huge success each year and allows us to keep our student/athletes in the safest and best equipment available. It is not only a FUNdraiser, it is a morale booster and gets the football season off on a very

Teachers give union permission to strike

Ramona teachers have given their union leadership permission to call for a strike “when and if it becomes necessary.”

With 99 percent of Ramona’s nearly 250 teachers voting, Ramona Teachers Association received more than 75 percent yes votes last Tuesday and Wednesday, the union reported.

“Ramona teachers do not want to strike, but we are not willing to accept the district’s unfair, unreasonable imposition,” RTA President Donna Braye-Romero said. “…If all other efforts fail, we now have the unity and support to strike as a final option.”

Ramona High School sports physicals night rescheduled for Wednesday, May 15

The Ramona High School athletic physicals night, originally scheduled for May 29, has been changed to Wednesday, May 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the RHS gym, 1401 Hanson Lane.

All student/athletes, spirit squad members, and Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) cadets who

Ramona teachers endorse strike authorization

By a more than three-fourths majority — with 99 percent voting — members of the Ramona Teachers Association overwhelming approved a vote authorizing the RTA’s executive board to call for a strike action “when and if it becomes necessary” to the teachers’ efforts to achieve what they believe is a fair contract settlement with the Ramona Unified School District.

“Ramona teachers do not want to strike,” said RTA President Donna Braye-Romero, “but we are not willing to accept the district’s unfair, unreasonable imposition.

Results of Ramona teachers’ strike authorization vote expected today

Wednesday, May 8—The community should know the results of the Ramona Teachers Association strike authorization vote by late this afternoon or early this evening.
Teachers started voting yesterday afternoon at a general membership meeting, but because some members had duties that prevented their participation then — including coaches with games — members not able to vote yesterday will have the opportunity to do so during the day today at their school sites, said Bill Guy, communications consultant with the California Teachers Association.
All of the votes will be counted today, beginning around 4 p.m., and results are expected to be available by 7 p.m. at the latest.
The majority of teachers voting is needed for strike authorization passage. This does not mean teachers will strike, RTA representatives said last week. It means they give the RTA executive board the authority to call for a strike.

Encinitas college partners with Ramona High, hires RHS basketball coach

St. Katherine College in Encinitas has announced hiring Ramona High School varsity basketball coach David Reichner as the school’s associate head coach. Reichner will assist head coach Scott Mitchell in the Firebirds’ inaugural season and home games will be played at Ramona High.

Deputy’s high school drug sting nets four in Ramona

Posing as a teenager, a sheriff’s deputy learned a lot about drugs at Ramona High School — enough to lead to four arrests, three young adults and a student.

The arrests last Tuesday are the result of a yearlong undercover investigation targeting drug-dealing at Ramona High and three other area high schools. The sting resulted in arrest warrants for a total of six minors and 13 adults.