Although schools are closed in the Paso Robles school district today, the administration conducted a meeting Wednesday evening to discuss with teachers and parents, plans to change school boundaries and possibly close schools.
No decisions made at the meeting at Flamson middle school Wednesday night, but it attracted some frustrated teachers and parents. Many are upset that the $95 million dollar Measure M money is nearly exhausted. Chief business officer Brad Pawlowski says there are only $5 million dollars in cash, but they have another $20 million dollars in bonds left to sell. So there is about 25-30 million dollars remaining. He says the district is looking at ways to allocate the remaining bond money. He says although Georgia Brown school may be closed, the dual immersion program at Georgia Brown will not be eliminated.
The meeting is online, so you can go to the school district website and watch it, although technical issues prevented part of it from being recorded. It opens with lengthy dead air, and ends the same way.
Two options were presented for boundary changes and school closures, but they are only tentative. Trustee Chris Bausch presented a third option, but superintendent Curt Dubost dismissed it. The option would be to send all 7th and 8th graders to Daniel Lewis middle school. Send 6th graders back to their elementary schools. Close Georgia Brown school and move the dual immersion program to Flamson middle school.
The discussion will continue before the school board. Ultimately, the board will decide what to to about dwindling Measure M money and declining enrollment in the Paso Robles school district. No decisions were made at the meeting.