The Morongo Unified School District Board of Trustees held their regular 6 PM meeting last night at Joshua Tree Elementary.
Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services Amy Woods started the meeting by recognizing Twentynine Palms High School Senior Joshua Corrado who recently passed the ACT with the highest possible score of 36, an achievement only reached by about 1% of the students who take the test nationally.
Director of Educational Technology Celeste Walberg and Director of Information Technology Troy Slayden presented the MUSD Technology Plan, with emphasis on Equity and Access for all students regardless of economic status, with goals including professional development, digital citizenship, typing, and technical integration.
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Stacy Smalling addressed last month’s controversial Preliminary Layoff Resolution, stating that although the position layoffs are moving forward, they “have not been without hiccup” and the course and procedures has been changed based on meetings with the CSA. With the definition of “layoff” as termination and “partial layoff” as a reduction in hours or pay, Smalling was happy to report that they do not need to send any layoff notices this year, as there are available positions that allow all MUSD employees to retain their hours and pay.
However, during public comment the board received further earfuls for decrease in instructional assistants, security, and nurses on campus.
Superintendent Dr. Patricio Vargas presented a resourceful Organizational Restructure, which will consolidate positions of management into the new position of Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education. This new aggregation will yield a net loss of one administrative position, with a savings of 25% for the affected positions.
The Board voted to increase of Certificated Substitute Teachers’ pay rate for Certificated Permit holders and Certificated Credentialed substitutes from $180 per day to $190. Classified Hourly/Substitute salary schedule is also requested to change with a 50-cent increase from $16.50 to $17.00 an hour.
