The Morongo Unified School District Board met Tuesday night for their bimonthly meeting where an important staffing issue was passionately debated. Reporter Heather Clisby was there…
This week’s Morongo Unified School District board meeting got off to an encouraging start. An impressive six-student team – members of HOSA, Health Occupation Students of America – presented on their Mental Awareness Group, a student-run effort at removing the stigma around mental illness and supporting students at risk of suicide. Walter Parham, school liaison for the Marine Base, mentioned the upcoming Job Shadow Event on February 6 where 78 kids from local high schools will visit the base to get a first-hand glimpse of various duties. Shadee Johnson, president of the Classified Union, broached a personnel issue at the New Plus Program in Twentynine Palms. The district seeks to hire two Campus Supervisor positions for daily three-hour shifts. Johnson explained that this would translate to a higher turnover and not allow for continuity, a crucial aspect in developing student rapport. She vehemently argued to instead create one full-time position with benefits that could attract and hold an ideal candidate and thus, better serve the students. The board tabled the issue to hold a wider discussion next week.
