School chiefs hopeful despite cuts

Expanded classes, fewer teachers and staff members, less course offerings and reduced supplies are some of the problems facing Petaluma schools and colleges, but chief administrators remain very positive about the upcoming school year.

"The school and district staffs are looking forward to supporting students to experience a meaningful and productive school year,” said Greta Viguie, superintendent of Petaluma City Schools. “(But) we know that we cannot do it alone. By working and sharing resources, knowledge and skills, we will better educate our students.

“Parents, guardians and community members can play a critical role in supporting school success.”

This year, due to state budget cuts, PCS eliminated summer school, and during the 2009-2010 school year, it has reduced the number of teachers, administrative and support staff at individual schools and at the district office; eliminated three staff-development days; reduced the number of counselors and classified staff members at school; and increased the number of students in many classes.

Amid the state economic turmoil, PCS has managed to complete some deferred maintenance projects this summer. Thanks to state career tech education funds and district developer fees, at Petaluma High School, an eight-classroom Art, Media and Entertainment facility was completed. At Casa Grande High School, a new drama classroom was built, a computer lab has been added to the library and the music building has been expanded.

The Old Adobe Union School District, comprised of five elementary schools, has laid off employees, increased some class sizes and bought fewer supplies, among other things.

“But now that I don’t have to think about budget number, I’m actually pretty excited about a lot of things going on in our district. I’m excited about focusing on what we’re really here to do — educate our children,” said Diane Zimmerman, the district’s superintendent.

She is particularly thrilled about the inception of Bernard Eldredge Elementary School’s Dual Immersion program, in which students will be taught both in English and Spanish. This year, a class of 22 kindergarten students and a combined class of 22 kindergarten- and first-grade students will participate in the program, which eventually will include all elementary-school grade levels.

“A global citizen needs to speak more than one language,” she said. “This is an important agenda as we educate our children for the 21st century, but it hasn’t been taken as seriously in the United States as it has elsewhere.”

The program, which includes students both within and outside the Old Adobe district, is so popular that it is filled to capacity, necessitating a waiting list.

Old Adobe schools also will introduce a new curriculum, Visual Thinking Strategies, as well as a new program for art education and enhanced classroom technology.

The Waugh School District, consisting of Corona Creek and Meadow elementary schools, has laid off one teacher, reduced custodial staff from two to one per site and trimmed hours of students’ computer lab and library use.

“We need to be optimistic, though, and need the help of the community and everyone at the school to get through this time,” said Scott Mahoney, the district’s superintendent. “We are fortunate that our teachers and other employees are very dedicated and enthusiastic.

“We’re forging ahead.”

This academic year, Waugh schools are focusing on educating students, parents and guardians about cyberbullying and Internet safety.

“We are looking at polices and curriculum, and hope to involve the whole community. Parents don’t fully comprehend the content of video games that children are playing and the content of many Internet messages,” Mahoney said.

St. Vincent de Paul High School, a private school, isn’t affected by state cuts to public schools, but still has been hurt by the economic slump.

“Enrollment has dropped, and that’s a concern for us,” said Principal John Walker, adding that tuition assistance also is expanded due to the economic slump.

“We will need to look at possible cutbacks. It’s on everyone’s mind here. These difficult financial times are a reality, so we have to make sure we’re not too extravagant.”

Nevertheless, Walker is very enthusiastic about the new school year.

“I’m really excited. We have many new projects, and they’re taking us in new directions,” he said.

Foremost among the projects is a new, $1.5 million athletic field that includes state-of-the-art artificial turf that will be used for football, baseball, softball and soccer games, as well as physical education classes.

A large donation from the Billy and Louise Yarbrough Foundation helped the project get underway, and it will be finished by late September, Walker said.

“Watching this field go up has been an amazing process,” Walker said. “Students knew it would happen, but they’ll soon find out that it makes this feel like a brand new campus.”

Walker said that a new amphitheater and whiteboards for all classrooms also will enhance the school.

At the Santa Rosa Junior College Petaluma campus, this fall administrators trimmed around 70 classes, 15 percent of its total in 2008-2009, and the state budget mandated that it raise enrollment fees by 30 percent, from $20 to $26 per unit. While making the cuts, in many cases administrators decided to offer fewer sections of many classes, rather than complete eliminate courses.

Ironically, these cuts come at a time when the campus is nearing completion of Phase II expansion, which is expanding the campus to three times its original size and enabling it to accommodate some 12,000 students, double the previous total.

Despite the cuts, enrollment is surpassing last year’s total, said Jane Saldaña-Talley, executive dean of the campus.

“Obviously, we’re challenged by the budget cuts, but slowly but surely, we’re finding a way to navigate through these challenges,” she said. “We’re still offering a wonderful program, a good mix of classes, and at the request of the president (Robert F. Agrella), we will be adding (back) up to 15 classes.”

She is very excited about a new cinema series that the campus will launch this fall.

“It will be offered as a class, but community members can sign up for the whole series, or for individual films,” Saldaña-Talley said.

The series will take place on Wednesday evenings from Sept. 2 through Dec. 9 at the new, state-of-the-art Carole L. Ellis Auditorium. Each night, the program will consist of a lecture by film and media instructor Mike Traina, followed by the screening of a film and a post-screening discussion.

A wide variety of films will be shown, including “Cinema Paradiso,” "American Beauty,” “The Graduate” and “Singin’ in the Rain.”

Despite the problems facing the SRJC Petaluma campus and local school districts, Saldaña-Talley is confident that Petalumans will help each other overcome them.

“I think this is a challenging time for all of us: No one is left out of the experience,” she said. “It’s a time when communities act as communities, and support each other through it.

“But we at SRJC and in Petaluma, in general, are well prepared to handle this. I have great confidence in what we can accomplish.”

(Contact Dan Johnson at dan.johnson@arguscourier.com)