Reversal is wrong

It is irresponsible and inexcusable that the Pleasant Valley School Board now intends to reverse its decision to consolidate schools. The district has already spent next year's COLA on this year's raise. This means they have absolutely nothing to offer their employees next year. We are dead last in the county in terms of benefits.

We will slip to the bottom in terms of salary again next year when all the other districts provide their employees their justified COLA raises that the state provides. The board continues to mismanage the budget and their fiduciary responsibilities because they are unwilling to make the hard choices necessary to run a fiscally sound district.

If the city really does come through with funds, which we have no reason to expect they will, they might be able to save another school closure. (We need a total of 2 more schools closed in order to save the necessary $1.5 million needed to raise salaries and benefits to be commensurate with the county average.) But history tells us that this is not possible or probably legal. The mayor herself said she can't give city funds to the district or the state would start withholding money from them.

The school board's duty is to ensure the health of the district as a whole and not to the vocal and aggressive minority who hire attorneys. The only thing they have assured the public and their staff now is that they have no plan to honor their commitments. They have no plan to compensate, attract or retain teachers or a new superintendent. Closing the Los Primeros site and moving them to Los Senderos was a step in the right direction. Reversing this decision is weak and inexcusable. Politics at its worst. Monica Bouweraerts Camarillo