The Morongo Unified School District Board of Trustees met yesterday for their final regular session meeting of the calendar year. Assignment reporter Chris Fleischman has the details from yesterday’s busy meeting…
Because the regular session meeting scheduled for Tuesday (December 14) was adjourned due to weather conditions, the Morongo Unified School District Board of Trustees met in regular session yesterday (December 16) at the district office. At the beginning of the meeting, the board reorganized for 2022. Cathy Nelson will serve as President, with Robert Hamilton serving as Board Clerk. Roberta Meyers was selected as District Representative for County Committee on School District Organization, and Kerri Condley will serve as Legislative Representative. Doug Weller was appointed as Secretary to the Board as part of his duties as Interim Superintendent. After reorganizing, the board adjourned to closed session and reconvened for an open work-study session. As the board looks toward redistricting in 2022, the trustees heard a presentation regarding the substantial changes recorded in the district during the 2020 Census. They also heard the First Interim Financial Report, with updates about the district budget. Even though the 2021-2022 school year represents a return to normal in many respects, challenges remain, such as the so-called funding “cliff” in 2022-2023 resulting from the Americans with Disabilities Act. The California Legislature is currently discussing strategies to intervene, but more details are forthcoming when the Governor releases the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2022-2023. The board later voted unanimously to certify the report, and in doing so, certified that the district can meet its financial obligations for this fiscal year, as well as the following two fiscal years. They also voted unanimously on several action items, including approving the expenditure plan for the Educator Effectiveness Block Grant and approving a contract for sewer improvement at Yucca Valley High School.
