The Paso Robles School Board met Tuesday night at the district office on Niblick Road. The board met in closed session beginning at 5:00. Then, the public meeting began around 6:00. The board received reports on Memos of Understanding between the school district and the teachers union.
Toward the end of the meeting Superintendent Curt Dubost gave a report on the opening day of school. How did “Back to School” go for students, teachers and staff in the Paso Robles School District? He said things are not as bad as the feared. The district received a profound reduction in attendance, which will impact Average Daily Attendance, but it is better than they expected. That reduction in attendance will affect how much money the Paso Robles School District receives in funding from the state. Trustee Chris Bausch said he fears that within two years, the district will face severe budget issues
Curt Dubost says the good news is that the number of students at kindergarten are up, so another kindergarten class is being added at Winifred Pifer Elementary School.
One caller said he thought the situation at Georgia Brown Elementary School was downright dangerous for students, including his own child. Superintendent Curt Dubost responded to the caller. He said he’s been to the campus every morning, and that the traffic congestion was caused by nearby congestion and the lack of school bus transportation. He says it’s improving every day.
Another challenge for the campus is Almond Acres, the new charter school in Paso Robles. Their new school on Niblick Road is under construction, so the students are meeting at the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation Building at 32nd and Oak. So, that’s added more traffic in the general vicinity of Georgia Brown School.
The school board also received a report from Chief Business Officer Brad Pawlowski. Trustee Lance Gannon told him people want to know what happened to all that Measure M bond money, and why work on the schools is not yet finished, Curt Dubost told the board construction is underway and that it’s a frustrating situation. Pawlowski says the district will soon get a full audit on the Measure M funds.
At the end of the meeting, PRJUSD President Chris Arend said the board meeting was “a very short one”, but they covered a lot of ground Tuesday night. However, may questions related to Measure M money, Georgia Brown, and budget issues remain unanswered.
