Tulare County Grand Jury Report 2011-2012 Alpaugh Unified School District Letter from the Judges

The AUSD Board of Trustee meetings adhere to all provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Act.

The Board authorized the retaining of an architectural firm and submitted school plans for a new campus. The plans must now go to the state architect for final approval.

The Board authorized the location of the new buildings adjacent to the current school. This allows students to remain in their current classrooms until construction is completed. T U L A R E C O U N T Y G R A N D J U RY R E P O RT 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 1 2 LETTER FROM THE JUDGES 8

The Board will be required to reapply if State funds are not encumbered by May 15, 2012.

During a public meeting, the Board approved keeping the existing multipurpose room, which contains the cafeteria and kitchen. However, a new multipurpose room will be constructed. The Board also approved the final design plan showing a two story building which will house all K-12 students and administrative offices. Grades K-6 will be located on the first floor while grades 7-12 will be housed on the second floor. An elevator for handicapped individuals and janitorial use will be included.

Following State Law, the Board approved the testing by the Department of Toxic Substance Control which has determined that the soil below the school site is not contaminated, with the exception of a small 18 inches deep, 5 feet wide section which must be removed before the Board allows construction to begin.

Demeanor of the Boards was professional and business-like, though owing to the personal nature of rural communities, there was more than the usual friendly give and take.

Public comment time was either verbally encouraged or noted on the agenda, though few boards had much of a community presence.

There did not seem to be obvious or formal bilingual services available to those community members in attendance who might require them.

In general, School Board members seemed to be aware of their responsibilities under the Brown Act which reflects appropriate training and attention to the necessities of their positions. CONCLUSIONS Rural and small school districts face unique challenges. Often the area the district covers is large, and transportation of students is an expensive challenge with which school boards must struggle. The communities these school districts serve are, for the most part, composed of socially and economically disadvantaged populations with a high proportion of second language learners. Community members, from whom trustees are recruited, may or may not be conversant in the English language. All Boards visited are proud of their schools and value their independence. Many members of the Boards are also former students and wish to make their communities better. They are dealing the best they can with the dwindling monetary support the districts are receiving from federal and state sources. They are researching the possibilities of moving to trustee districts or staying with at-large elections. Generally, the Boards appeared glad to see the attendance of the 2011-2012 Grand Jury and had friendly interactions with them. In spite of the above challenges, it generally appears that the rural and small school districts are appropriately meeting, mastering legal requirements such as the Brown Act, and serving their communities efficiently.