A Δ
a good long-term business decision
ABC Reform Slate
accountability
Allen Bill - The Allen Bill states that parents are allowed to bring children to school in the district in which they work.
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alternatives
American Association of School Administrators Journal
ancient landslide
apology
appropriate account
audit of CUSD's use of funds by City of Mission Viejo - At the June 5, 2006 Mission Viejo City Council meeting, the firm of Vavrinek, Trine & Day (VTD) was selected to conduct an audit of certain revenue sources of CUSD. VTD was retained to audit CUSD's use of funds from the following sources: Community Facilities District N. 87-1 (CFD 87-1), the Tax Sharing Agreement and First Implementation Agreement between the Mission Viejo Community Development Agency and CUSD, and the 1999 voter-approved Measure A - the Neighborhood School Overcrowding, Safety/Repair Measure.
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audit of CUSD's use of funds by City of Rancho Santa Margaita -
B Δ
basic aid district - A school district that receives a limited amount of state funding because its property tax revenue exceeds what would be provided by the state. Less than 10 percent of California schools qualify as a basic aide district. Laguna Beach is one of these districts.
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Brown Act - The state's Ralph M. Brown Act allows elected officials to meet in closed-session in strictly limited circumstances, such as employee evaluations, labor negotiations and legal matters.
C Δ
Capo for Better Representation - The CUSD Recall Committee’s statutorily required "recipient committee" -- it’s fundraising vehicle. The CUSD Recall Committee formed this public fundraising committee pursuant to a California law that requires any political campaign raising more than $1,000 in campaign contributions to create a "recipient committee" to assure that all political contributions are publicly disclosed. A Statement of Organization was filed with the state and county to create a Recipient Committee known as Capo for Better Representation.
California Environmental Quality Act
California Public Records Act - As stated in its preamble, the California Public Records Act was enacted because "the Legislature, mindful of the right of individuals to privacy, finds and declares that access to information concerning the conduct of the people's business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state." Under the act:
• People are entitled to view and copy any documents or other records containing information relating to the conduct of the public's business prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local government agency. The records are open during normal office hours.
• A record is open to inspection unless some exception spelled out within the act provides to the contrary. Those include: preliminary and temporary drafts, notes and memoranda; pending litigation documents; private employee records; police investigative or intelligence files; or certain records in which a judge rules that the benefit of privacy outweighs the benefit of disclosure.
• In virtually all cases, requesters of public records are not required to give their names, addresses or a reason for the request. The law also does not require that the request be put in writing.
• A public agency can take up to 10 days to determine whether a record is legally exempt from disclosure. But all other records must be promptly provided.
Cadidate Forum
categorical funding - Money from most grants is called "categorical funding," meaning districts can only spend the money on programs they were intended for. For example, a $1 million federal grant for new technology can only be spent on computers, software, etc. or districts must return the money. School construction bonds can also only be used to renovate or build new schools and other facilities.
certificate of participation (“COP”)
community facilities district ("CFD") - See Mello-Roos tax or bond
city council
Civic Center Act
class size reduction
consolidation
county executive officer
CUSD Recall Committee
D Δ
diseased trees - The "diseased trees" excuse was dishonestly made by CUSD officials when community members exposed the fact that they had pre-maturely commenced construction of the Arroyo Vista K-8 expansion project, in violation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The district removed the trees as the first step in the project prior to completing and obtaining approval of the requisite Environmental Impact Report or Negative Declaration required by CEQA. The district's motive was to pre-empt possible attempts by the City of Rancho Santa Margarita to obtain injunctive relief based on several violations. In response to public announcements by community leaders citing the CEQA violation, the district stopped all construction activities and explained that the trees had been removed because they were diseased in order to cover up the CEQA violation.
district attorney
district vehicles
Division of State Architecture (“DSA”)
E Δ
election laws
eminent domain
endorsement
enemies list
environmental impact report (“EIR”)
express advocacy
F Δ
Facilities Update
fire and life safety
Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) - FCMAT conducts management reviews for California school districts, charter schools and community colleges. Its experts can review and recommend policies in various areas of education administration, ranging from student transportation to special education.
Fleming regime
follow the rules
for the children
Fresh Start
G Δ
Guaranteed Maximum Price contract
give and take
government resources
grand jury
green waste facility
H Δ
high voltage wires
holdover trustees
honesty
honorable - We're honarable people; I'm an honorable man
I Δ
independent expenditure
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A.)
integrity
J Δ
joint use agreement (See “limited use agreement")
just a patch of grass
K Δ
key communicators
L Δ
Leadership Associates
League of Women Voters
Lebonics
Leroy F. Green Act
liability waivers
liars, liars, liars
limited use agreement
liquor receipts
listserv
low-wealth district - one in which the amount of per-pupil funding is below the statewide average. Capistrano Unified is a low wealth district. In fact, it is one of the lowest in per pupil funding in all of Orange County and of the 25 largest districts in the state. The state periodically recalculates the average and tries to equalize funding with additional funding to poorer districts. Sometimes the districts receive equalization funding, but it is discretionary.
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M Δ
malfeasence
master planned community
matching funds
Measure A - the 1999 voter-approved Neighborhood School Overcrowding, Safety and Repair Measure. In anticipation of the passage of measure A, on June 28, 1999, the Board of Trustees formed "School Facilities District No. 1 of the Capistrano Unified School District" to facilitate the issuance of general obligation bonds to finance the costs of improvements within the Improvement District ("Facilities") estimated by the Board to be $65 million. The "Facilities" were described: "To relieve overcrowding, modernize and renovate older schools, improve safety conditions, and apply for approximately $101 million in matching funds from the State of California." To assure accuracy and accountability, the Board of Trustees included specific safeguards to assure that the funds generated would be spent appropriately.
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Measure A accuracy and accountability safeguards - These safeguards included the following:
• a contract with each school detailing each project scheduled for the school. The project list would be posted at every school site and detailed in the bond.
• an Annual Independent Audit documenting expenditures;
• funds to be made available in the future to continue construction and repair of school facilities;
• a $3 million allocation from the bond for contingency and ongoing school construction and repair purposes;
• a prohibition against spending funds on administrators' salaries. By law, bond money would only be spent on school buildings and grounds; and
• establishment of a School Facilities Improvement District fiscal oversight committee comprised of representatives from the school district's major stakeholder groups.
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Measure A oversight committee - The Neighborhood School Overcrowding, Safety and Repair Measure (Measure A) included several safeguards to guarantee that the school district would apply the funds generated from a successful election, and the accompanying state matching funds, in a fiscally prudent and responsible manner. One important safeguard was the establishment of a School Facilities Improvement District fiscal oversight committee comprised of representatives from the school district's major stakeholder groups, including, but not limited to, parents, employees, and key community and business leaders. This committee would meet as necessary and appropriate to review the expenditure of bond funds by the school district.
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Measure CC
Mello-Roos tax or bond - An alternate method of financing needed improvements and services and more common in newer areas where new schools, fire stations and libraries need to be built. First, a Mello-Roos Community Facilities District (CFD) needs to be formed. Before government entities can form a CFD, they must obtain permission from area landowners or hold an election of registered voters within the CFD. The services and improvements that Mello-Roos taxes can fund include streets, sewer systems, police protection, fire protection, ambulance services, schools, parks, libraries, museums and other cultural facilities.
methane gas
misfeasence
modular
mold (bad)
mold (good)
move on
N Δ
negative declaration
O Δ
Office of Public School Construction ("OPSC")
overcrowding
oversight
P Δ
parent fundraising
parent survey
Parent Teacher Association
point of no return
portable classroom
private advocate - A consultant who works with school districts to get special needs children the resources they need, by attending Individualized Educational Program meetings with parents. As an advocate, the private advocate expresses the interest, concerns and desires of the families and helps everyone work cooperatively for the child. As an educator, the advocate advises parents on their rights under the special education law and how to negotiate for their child’s rights and needs.
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Proposition 1A - The largest school facilities bond ever approved by California voters, provides $9.2 billion to K-14 schools to address facilities needs. K-12 school districts will receive $6.7 billion of those funds for modernization and reconstruction needs, with $800 million designated as of November 1999 and an additional $1.3 billion beginning July 2000.
Proposition 47
Proposition 98 - Prop. 98, approved by voters in 1988, requires that at least 40 percent of the state budget go towards k-12 education. It also provides a guaranteed funding source that grows each year with the economy and the number of students. School districts typically receive about 70 percent of their funding from the state budget.
Q Δ
Quimby Act
R Δ
recall
recall cabal
recall petition
redevelopment funds
religious right
reform trustees
rescission cards
revenue limit - A district has a revenue limit, which is the amount of funding a district receives per student. Revenues raised through local property taxes are given to the district, and if this amount does not equal the revenue limit the district is due, the state will give the district the amount it needs to equal the revenue limit. It is actually more complicated than that, but that is the basic premise.
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revenue limit districts - receive most of their money from the state because local property taxes alone can't support their budgets. For example, Laguna Beach Unified, an area with some of the highest property values in the county, receives most of its funding from property taxes, while Santa Ana Unified, with substantially lower property tax revenue, receives 34 percent of funding from local sources.
S Δ
School Facilities Improvement District (SFID) - A financial district created to generate revenue for repairs and new construction. An SFID specifically excludes Mello-Roos taxpayers who already pay higher taxes for schools through Mello-Roos assessment. An SFID requires approval of two-thirds of votes cast by registered voters who live within the defined boundaries of the SFID. Money raised through an SFID can be used only on school buildings, classrooms and school grounds.
School Facilities Program - A state program created through the passage of SB 50, affords school districts the opportunity to address facility repair needs on an 80/20 split cost basis. If state funds are available, for every $20 CUSD spends on school repairs, the state will match with $80. At June 28, 1999, CUSD was eligible for $69,217,560 in such funds. If the school district chooses to construct new schools, 50 percent of the dollars necessary for new construction would have to be generated locally to participate in the state's 50/50 match program.
school site council
SFID - (See "School Facilities Improvement District")
Smart Voter Guide
spy
strategic plan
superintendent's column
surplus property
Swallows Inn
T Δ
test scores
The train has left the statition
three little pigs
tilt-up building
Title 14 exemption
toxic waste disposal station
traffic study
train derailments
transitional fill
truth will come out
W Δ
Williams Litigation Settlement - Every school facility "must be clean, safe, and maintained in good repair. Good repair means that the facility is maintained in a manner that assures it is clean, safe, and functional, as determined by the Office of Public School Construction," according to Education Code 35186.
Williams Uniform Complaint Procedure - comes from the Williams Litigation Settlement and provides that every classroom in California should have sufficient textbooks and instructional materials.
Williams vs. California - A lawsuit filed in 2000 that argued that the state has a constitutional duty to ensure basic educational equality and contended that California has failed in that duty by not providing thousands of students in public schools with "bare minimum necessities," defined as textbooks, trained teachers, and safe, clean, uncrowded facilities. The lawsuit further argued that low-income students and students of color are the most likely to bear the burden of inadequate resources.
Y Δ
You know how it works.