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Economic outlook brightens for school district

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With the state economy “clipping along,” education is a priority in Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal for 2015-16, and this could mean about $1.9 million more for Ramona Unified School District, said Assistant Superintendent David Ostermann.

Positive economic growth is a theme of Brown’s proposal, and “that fuels capital gains, that fuels state revenues, that translates into more dollars for Propostion 98 (voter-approved funding guarantee for schools), so much of the new dollars are coming toward education,” Ostermann said in his report to school trustees last Tuesday.

The governor also proposes more money for career technical education and adult services.

The complete report is on the district’s website, www.ramonausd.net, under Administration, then Administrative Services and Board Meeting PowerPoint Presentations.

Nothing will be final until the Legislature approves a state budget in June but, Ostermann said, “this governor has shown that he’s got the political clout that he gets pretty much what he proposes.”

Also in the meeting:

•Trustees approved seeking bids for summer projects. Among them are resurfacing gym floors at Ramona High and Olive Peirce Middle School; roof repairs at trouble spots; painting at the middle school and performing arts center; parking lot and playground resealing at Hanson Elementary, Mt. Woodson Elementary and Ramona Community School; and carpeting in Barnett Elementary Library, Ramona High’s I wing and various classrooms throughout the district.

•Trustees approved three new courses for Ramona High School’s agriculture department: Floral Design, and Agriculture

Mechanics 1 and 2. They also approved Functional Skills courses for high school special education students. Previously titled Life Skills, the district changed the courses to align with the new state standards, said Theresa Grace, senior director of education services.

•Superintendent Robert Graeff announced that during closed session trustees approved a settlement in Office of Administrative Hearing Case No. 2014110196. After the meeting, he said the case involved a former special education student. The one-time payment of $19,000 from the district’s general fund is to pay for tuition at a residential treatment center, and the settlement avoids any future claim against the district by the family, he said.

•Assistant Superintendent Tony Newman said that a survey of Ramona High students, teachers and parents showed overwhelming support for ending the first semester at the winter break and starting the second semester when school resumes after New Year’s Day. This is the first year the school set the calendar to avoid students taking final exams after returning from winter break.

•Graeff said that Ramona High special education teacher Gloria Quinn is Ramona Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3783’s 2014 Teacher of the Year, and agriculture teacher Alyson Tulloch is California Agriculture Teachers Association’s Outstanding Young Teacher in San Diego County.

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