Modesto City Schools board to vote on future spending, behavioral job

Modesto City Schools board members will spend much of their meeting Monday talking about spending in the year ahead.

Before getting down to the brass tacks, however, trustees will applaud Davis High Language Institute student Martin Esho, national recipient of the Scholastic 180 student award, and Language Institute teacher Victor Soria, who was one of five national finalists for the contest’s educator award.

Up for a vote is authorization to spend up to $5 million for HP hardware, software and services through a “piggyback” contract, a way for districts to band together to maximize purchasing power. Roughly $2 million in contracts to renovate and repave the district school bus parking and maintenance center are also on the agenda.

Trustees will weigh set-asides for the district’s unspent money, essentially putting some of its savings off-limits. The list of so-called assigned reserves up for discussion range from a small pocket to replace lost textbooks, to several sacks held to pay off debts. In its 2014-15 budget, the district had $45 million in reserve, with about $25 million of that assigned to specific uses.

Some 3 percent is set aside for economic uncertainty, a buffer against large fluctuations in state funding that have occurred in recent years. The district is saving up to replace aging cafeterias and classrooms at Burbank and Martone elementary schools, repave cracking asphalt and replace Downey High’s artificial turf every 10 years. Other potential expenses include $100,000 in case of higher than expected legal costs and $200,000 to replace office computers as needed.

Also in the bank, for now, is the pot of money the district gets because of its high number of high-needs students. The local spending plan worked out with community and staff input will allocate those funds.

In other business, the board will vote on:

▪ A second reading of changes to the Student Conduct Code making behavioral help the go-to discipline for minor offenses in lower grades. References were removed to suspension in “partnered classrooms,” the informal practice of teachers moving difficult students for a time to the classroom of a partner teacher, not necessarily in the same grade.

▪ New course outlines for junior high and high school math, as well as high school courses including “Launch Your Own Business” and “Virtual Business.”

▪ Creating a new behavioral intervention specialist to work with students and an intervention center monitor to replace the in-school suspension monitor position. A job description for school safety officers, part of the districtwide security plan, is up for a vote, offering $17.91 to $22.86 an hour.

This story was originally published May 10, 2015 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Modesto City Schools board to vote on future spending, behavioral job."