Job protection bill may bring PUSD district $1M

The Porterville Unified School District Governing Board of Trustees met Thursday for their regular meeting. All members were present.

There were no public comments or oral communications.

During the meeting, John Buckley reported on Standard-based report cards — explaining how the new report card is different from the traditional ones in that grades are not just given in each subject area — such as reading, composition and math — but in subject areas, sub-divided into a list of skills and knowledge that students need to learn or master, and each item on the list being scored.

Val Staley, Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services, said the process allows targeting of instruction, helping teachers to address key problem areas.

Also discussed in the meeting was a review and consideration of appointing a PUSD representative to the City of Porterville Parks and Leisure Services Commission.

But it was Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Ken Gibbs who shared some welcomed news — that between $1 million and $2 million in funds that could be made available to the district by a job protection bill which President Barack Obama signed on Tuesday.

The bill, H.R. 1586, will provide $16 billion to Medicaid and $10 billion, nationally, to education. In California, it translates to $1.2 billion to help save or create an estimated 16,500 kindergarten through 12th grade teaching jobs, Gibbs said.

“It’s designed to help protect teachers’ jobs,” Gibbs said. “It’s my understanding that it is strictly for teachers’ salaries.”

The funds can be used to pay for existing employees, rehire laid-off staff and can eliminate furlough days.

But the district still does not know how much they will actually get, Gibbs said.

If the dollar amount were divided evenly, with each district in the state getting the same dollar amount, it would add up to approximately $2 million. But, Gibbs pointed out, that was unlikely and he was certain different funding calculations will probably be taken into account, with the actual amount awarded being closer to $1 million per district.

The state application for the funds is due at the end of the month, but once submitted, the U.S. Department of Education must award the funds to states within 45 days of enactment.

However, it is unclear when the school districts will actually receive the funds since distribution of the funds is dependent on enactment of the Budget Act or other legislation authorizing the expenditure.