Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Vacancy, Teacher Honorees on Agenda for Hart Board

wsh_logo_best_hartdistrictThe Hart School Board will hold its annual organizational meeting Wednesday and discuss a new district office building, a waste-management contract and a replacement for board member Chris Fall, who resigned.


The board also will discuss its nominees from staff recommendations for Teacher of the Year for the district.


The William S. Hart Union High School District is the Santa Clarita Valley governing district for more than 20,000 junior high and high school students.


On Aug. 16, Hart district officials notified the Los Angeles County Office of Education of Chris Fall’s resignation.


Fall was appointed by the Hart district to replace Paul Strickland, who resigned effective May 1 in order to pursue a career opportunity in Florida.


“Aa vacancy on a governing board that occurs within four months of the end of the term of the position cannot be filled by a special election or provisional appointment,” according to Education Code 5093.


An appointment process does take place; however, the selected individual is not seated on the board dais until sworn in, which occurs at the December board meeting.


This individual would serve a four-year term as if he/she was elected, according to district documents.


District staffers prepared a timeline suggested for board approval, which is as follows: A discussion of the vacancy will take place Sept. 11, with a news release posted Sept. 12.


Officials are expected to announce a deadline of Oct. 8 for vacancy applications and, after the submissions are checked for the legal requirements, three days later the applicants will be advised of their interview times for Oct. 16.


A board vote will be taken after the interviews, and an oath of office will be administered Dec. 11 to board President Joe Messina and Bob Jensen, who are running unopposed, as well as the nominee selected by the board.


The waste management contract, the issue that prompted Fall’s resignation from the Hart district’s governing board, is being recommended for Consolidated Disposal Services, which is a company that Fall works for as a contract consultant.


Hart district officials listed the waste-management bids in their district agenda.


For the 2013-14 school year, the district recognizes Ron Ippolito of West Ranch High School as the Hart District Teacher of the Year.


Those being named Teacher of the Year by their respective schools are: Jessica Ruiz, Academy of the Canyons; Brandy Brown, Arroyo Seco Junior High School; Mike Mansfield, Bowman High School; Roslyn Denny, Canyon High School; Elisa Pokorney, Golden Valley High School; Gerardo Nunez, Golden Oak Adult School; Beverly Ladd, Hart High School; Aaron Kirkland, La Mesa Junior High School; Alyssa VanDuzee, Placerita Junior High School; Nicole Jolicoeur, Rancho Pico Junior High School; Amy Jackson, Rio Norte Junior High School; Amber Nua, Saugus High School; Mike Koegle, Sequoia Learning Charter; Kristen Stauch, Sierra Vista Junior High School; Alice Knebel, Transition Learning Charter; Lydia Bauer, Valencia High School; and Ron Ippolito, West Ranch High School.


The new district office for the William S. Hart Union High School District includes approximately $1.1 million in additional renovations that are outside the lease for the new district office building, according to district documents.


Nearly $400,000 of that will be paid toward JSB Developers, which is working with the district to renovate the new office location.


The move originally was planned for July, but has not yet taken place.


The new location is expected to streamline operations for the district because it consolidates operations from two locations to one that is smaller and more efficient.



Vacancy, Teacher Honorees on Agenda for Hart Board