Advisory budget committee meets to discuss school district finances
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

The Pleasant Valley School District's finance advisory committee met on Jan. 23 and is in the early stages of forming recommendations to the school board for improving the district's finances.

The group is looking for ways the district can bring in more money or save money in areas that include enrollment, programs and facilities. Additional areas may also be considered.

The volunteer advisory committee of nine parents, which includes a teacher, a lawyer and a corporate chief financial officer, organized last summer after the school district closed two schools and restructured others. The school board and the superintendent at the time said the reason was declining student enrollment and the need to free up money to give teachers a raise and improve their benefits.

The district gave teachers and other employees an 8 percent raise last year, but contract talks between the district and teachers' union have stalled for the 200708 school year.

The parent volunteers had been meeting twice a month with Jan Maez, assistant superintendent of fiscal services, to learn about the district's budget and offer suggestions on what could be done to raise more money for the district and avoid further school closures.

Members of the group said they learned how the budget operates but didn't feel the administrator took their suggestions seriously.

Maez left Pleasant Valley in October, and since then the group has been meeting with Superintendent Luis Villegas, who joined the district in July, and Assistant Superintendent Gary Mortimer, Maez's temporary replacement.

The parents have said the new regime seems more open to their proposals.

"The whole atmosphere is different than it had been, and it's very positive," said parent Mark Pachowicz. "I think the committee has turned a corner under the new leadership . . . who is looking for ways to improve."

The committee is scheduled to meet again on Mon., Feb. 4.

For more information about the finance advisory committee, call (805) 445-8600.