The facts about St. Helena's school system

By Cindy Warren

I would like to address issues regarding the St. Helena Unified School District that have been in the paper and been the subject of e-mail blasts. There is much misinformation and perhaps a little gossip.

Rumor: The district is paying for Superintendent Gordon’s trip to Bordeaux. Fact: No.

Rumor: The board has already picked a successor for SHUSD Trustee Jim Haslip’s seat. Fact: Depending upon community input, it’s likely a special election will be held this fall.

Rumor: Retirement packages for teachers and administrators are expensive and unexpected. Fact: Retirement incentives were agendized and openly discussed at board meetings in September, December and January. By law, we cannot offer retirement incentives unless they save the district money and are available to all who are eligible. Alan Gordon, Jim Zoll and six teachers took “retirement incentives” this year. Over five years, these incentives will save the district $1,244,193.23 — almost $250,000 per year.

Rumor: Our teachers are overpaid. Fact: We want to pay our teachers well. They are our most important resource.  What matters is how we hire. Last March when three new hires didn’t meet our standards, we (legally) released them and were excoriated for “letting teachers go” who didn’t measure up. We invest in ongoing teacher development and may have the best-trained teachers in California.

Rumor: We are spending too much on salaries and not enough on students. We are spending over state “averages.” Fact: To that we plead guilty. We do not want our students to be average. Compared to our “peer schools,” those schools similar to ours in size, culture or test scores we wish to emulate (high-achieving schools like Piedmont or Del Mar), we are neither the highest nor lowest in any category. In spending per pupil, we generally exceed our peers and in salaries as a percentage of overall budget (around 85 percent of most budgets goes for salaries) we are competitive (www.ed-data.k12.ca.us), Our teachers and administrators are constantly recruited by other districts for more money.

Rumor:  We are a college-bound prep school. Fact: We have upgraded our vocational/career offerings to better prepare our students for the job market in the 21st century. It’s true. We don’t have home ec or typing. We have culinary arts, computer science and keyboarding. We don’t have auto mechanics (engines are now computerized), but we do offer agriculture mechanics (woodworking, welding, electricity, masonry, wood and metal construction), Web development, graphic design and digital publishing, video production, development/broadcasting, floral design, viticulture and information technology skills for Special Ed. (Check our Web site for complete list of vocational courses). Driver’s ed and sewing have indeed been dropped.

As befits our community, our ag program (which has tripled in size) may be the best in California.

The International Baccalaureate Program is for all students K-12, not just college bound. It is an approach to education, not a list of courses. Our district is unique in that we offer MAP (Multi Age Program), dual immersion and a traditional program, all under the IB umbrella.

Rumor: Special Ed is being dismantled. Fact: We are committed to offering a comprehensive Special Ed program. We moved our Special Ed students to the center of campus so they would be integrated with the student body. We want to mainstream them and prepare them for independent living. We are committed to improving our Special Ed program.

Rumor: The board doesn’t communicate. Fact: For the past five years, administrators, teachers, board members, parents and community members have worked together to create a vision for our district. We meet several times a year for strategic planning. It has been a collaborative process.

In strategic planning workshops, continuity in leadership was emphasized. As a board, we expected Dr. Robert Haley to step in whenever Superintendent Gordon stepped down. However, we did not thoroughly communicate to the entire community our desire to keep our administrative team intact. We are responsible for our errors in “process” and could have done a much better job in preparing the community for the transition and soliciting more community input. We have learned a great lesson.

By developing great relationships with our community, the district has been the recipient of new facilities, paid for with private funds. The new Boys and Girls Club is a jewel. The new multi-purpose facility/gym, all-weather track and football field were privately financed by people who believe in what we are doing. We are planning for a new choral classroom, pool complex, ag barn and ag classrooms.

By any measure, this is an outstanding school system — one that truly reflects the community in which it is located.

(Warren is a trustee with the St. Helena Unified School District.)

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