Accomplishments While Serving on the School Board
Facilities Master Plan
I have served on the board’s Facilities Master Plan (FMP) subcommittee for twelve years and look forward to finishing up with the approval of an updated plan and consideration of a funding proposal.
The purpose of the FMP is to bring all schools in the district up to a median standard. The voters in Chico approved approximately $158 million in bonds for the FMP.
As of August 2022, the School Board authorized the selection of a consultant to review/revise the FMP, last updated in 2019. There are seven Elementary schools and Fair View still waiting for their remodeling, expansion, and modernization.
The report by the consultant and a timeline for the School Board to consider the next phase of the FMP will be presented at the December meeting. The next report will be in the spring 2023. If re-elected I will continue on the FMP subcommittee and will move diligently to realize the progress to the next phase.
Pleasant Valley High School, Marsh Junior High School, Marigold Elementary, and Loma Vista Program
District 5 is the home of four schools recently significantly impacted by remodeling, expansion, and modernization.
Pleasant Valley High School has received a new Multipurpose Room/Culinary Arts Career Tech Kitchen/Classrooms, added a Medical Career Tech Program, and renovations for Child Development and Arts Media. Currently, renovations are in progress for Engineering and Manufacturing.
Marsh Junior High School added a multipurpose building or “Student Union” replacing the portable building that had exceeded it’s useful life. The multipurpose building includes a new kitchen that serves as a staff training kitchen, dining area, stage and a performing arts classroom.
Marigold Elementary School added a Media Center and replaced the portable classrooms will permanent buildings.
Loma Vista Program is now located in a completely new school, to better serve our students with special needs.
Supporting Agricultural Science at Chico High School
In 2018 Senator Jim Nielsen was fighting to save funding for Agriculture programs in California’s high schools. After visiting the Senator’s office in my role as political liaison to Sacramento, Senator Nielsen accepted my invitation to visit Chico Unified. He was impressed with our Ag. Science and Welding programs. He was successful in securing the necessary funding for the six programs still active in the state.
With the public-private partnership with the “Friends of Agriculture” and farm equipment businesses needing welders, the department has expanded to include statewide officers in FFA, and our Ag. The science department farms the approximate 10 acres on Henshaw Avenue owned by CUSD.
My farm girl heart loves seeing our programs produce the next generation of farmers ready to use the latest technology to irrigate responsibly and maximize productivity and profits in our rich farm environment.
Approved the CUSD Multi-Tiered System of Support
At its June 22, 2022 meeting the Board received an in-depth report on the Chico Unified School District (CUSD) Multi-Tiered System of Support.
The report begins with the district adopted Equity Governance Statement:
- CUSD is committed to educational excellence for every student, which requires the identification and removal of barriers to success as well as the assurance that each student has access to the full range of resources, supports, and services necessary for them to achieve their unique potential.
- Educational equity as defined in the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) which drives our goals and resources providing every student every day with the opportunities supports and resources needed for each of them to achieve their unique potential.
Nutrition Committee
I served on the Nutrition Committee during my first year on the School Board.
The Nutrition Committee recommended to the Board to restrict high-calorie food items from being brought from home to be served in classrooms. We also suggested sports booster groups post the calorie content of items sold at sporting events. We wrote language that brought changes to school gardens so the produce grown could be safely consumed by students. In addition, we restricted the sale of some items in the student stores.
These changes brought awareness to the need to educate our students about healthy eating and parent support for modeling that message. Student classroom celebrations are now ordered through Nutrition Services from the list of approved snacks.
Other things I’ve done
Initiated use of Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) to create an atmosphere of cooperatively solving labor issues within the district. This has to led to seven years of labor harmony rather than strife.
Beginning in 2010, I was the designated political representative of the board. I made numerous trips to Sacramento to lobby for school funding and other support to enable early childhood education and CTE programs to flourish in Chico Unified.
In 2002, I was selected by the California School Employees Association to receive Honor Roll, their second highest recognition.
I am a founding member of the Carnegie Foundation sponsored National Committee on Equity Pay for Women and Minorities.
In 2018, I was selected as “Citizen of the Year” by the Parade of Lights organizing committee.
I am a past Board Member of True North Housing Alliance
I served several terms as CUSD representative to the Inspire School of Arts and Sciences Board of Directors