Well I did not read the article, what was it about? I do have some interesting information on the Star newspaper however. It seems they may be protecting the Stricklands and Vista Real Charter for some unknown reason. When the meeting was held on Vista Real we were going to take out a full page ad to get people to go to the meeting and to let the public know what was going on. We even had paid for the ad in advance. On the day of the meeting guess what, no ad! When we called they claimed it was a mistake, but this was the first mistake they have ever made when we have runs ads with them. When the Star did an article on Vista Real they refused to publish the finding of Dr. Weis that showed they were violating state ed code! Then recently I sent a letter to the editor in response to a column Audra Strickland had written and in it I also asked that the Stricklands state publicly if they are investors in Vista Real who will be making 10% returns off our tax dollars the first year. I sent the letter over two weeks ago and for the first time not only was my letter not published but they did not even send a note saying why it would not be published, and yes I verified they received it. In the past Tim and Chris Hamilton have accused me of running the Star, but guess what, I don't, the Stricklands it seems do! I understand now why Tim will not comment on the Stricklands and Vista Real, even though it takes away local control and during the last campaign Tim said he favors local control. Well Tim don't comment on it, otherwise your blog will be gone! Arleigh

How does one invest for the 10 percent return? Is there a website? Are all you guys vested?

Call Tony Strickland, he is on the Board of Vista Real and they are giving 10% to investors in Vista Real Charter. Of course that 10% won't be going to the classroom or to help educate kids.

Do you have a number for mr. strickland? Does anyone on this board invested? Are the return rates highly risky?

I think raising the 10% return is important because I think it may actually come out of the funding of the tax dollars allotted to the charter school. Is that how they are defining a 10% return?

How much money is the board going put toward the charter school and get in return on their investment is of key interest for me? This is important because this does take away money from regular public schools.

Scott

Great letter in the Star today by Gary Murphy(8/10) on how the SVUSD bond oversight committee is playing politics instead of doing their job. I do think the Stricklands should go public on whether or not they are getting 10% returns from Vista Real and if Ms. Strickland will not vote on school funding issues. Arnold lost another round in court over prop 77 and as many of you have asked CTA has now filed a lawsuit against Arnold over Prop 98. Tim why is it the Chamber of Commerce provides no financial information to their members on how the dues money is spent? SEA is a member and we receive no data, we want to know if any of our dues are being spent for political purposes? SEA provides a monthly budget to our reps and any member can opt to not have dues spent on politics with one phone call. Arleigh

mr. tim,

do you answer the arleigh questions about what you do think? would it be wise place to invest monies?

Arleigh:

Are you saying its appropriate for the district to move 1.5 million in bond money into the general fund?

Scott

Scott,
They did not move 1.5 million into the general fund. It was a mistake, when they found it, they corrected it. Even if they had moved it in, it would only be illegal if they then spent the money on something that was not part of the bond. In school finance it always depends on the source of the money, and if it is restricted or not. For example, you can move unrestricted funds into a restricted account, you can't spend the money from that account on a purpose not stated by the account. But, you could then take that unrestricted money back out of that restricted account and use it for any purpose, as long as you move it back into the general fund. I spent six days at UCLA studying school finance, 8 hours a day and I still am not an expert. That's why I get a little ticked when people who know nothing about school finance (like many members of the bond committee) make statements about school finance that are not correct. I believe that legally the District could put all of the bond money in their general fund as long as they then only spent that money for bond projects, but in this case the money never actually went into the general fund, instead it looks like a clerk made a notation in the wrong place. I have a feeling the auditor will verify this. Arleigh

Arleigh, Scott, Tim:

Where can we see a listing of bond oversight members and how were they selected?

I am surprised none of you three are on it.

Brian Dennert

Brian,

If the district would build the web site required by the ed code (or at least update the existing one), we'd see a published list of the members. Right now, you need to wade through the minutes of Board Meetings. However, their names were also listed on some of the mailings the campaign committee used to pass the bond.

As you know, I ran for the school board last year instead of applying for the bond committee. I took the route of oversight that way, and didn't want to be labeled as politicizing this critically important committee of volunteers, parents, community leaders, business people etc...

They were selected through an application process, and then were unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees. This is the oversight committee both the Trustees, and the Bond Election committee wanted and marketed.

Tim

Arleigh:

I’m certainly not an expert on school finance, but do get concerned when we leave all things up to supposed experts, self-proclaimed or otherwise. The most background I’ve had is 33 hours of public budgeting in my CLU masters program, which covered most public finance issues including schools. I also analyze the financial health of corporations and individuals for a living, but I certainly wouldn’t claim that this gives me a total understanding of what is going on. The school bond issue raises way more questions for me than answers right now. My question is that if nothing was done that was wrong, why did the money need to be reversed and the notation changed? Why was a correction done, if nothing was wrong or illegal?

Just as the Real Vista Charter School was a less than honest issue, I am concerned that the Simi Valley School District is not being totally open with the public and to the bond oversight committee for that matter. I am deeply troubled that many are claiming it is illegal because this sort of commingling of funds does look illegal to me on the surface. If they spent one dime out of that fund the day that transaction occurred, it can be construed as an illegality. I hope that I am wrong and no illegalities have occurred, but it sure looks like it.

Also, just as the Ventura County Board of Education ignored the law on their approval of the Real Vista Charter School, the Simi Valley Unified School District is openly in violation of the education code by not posting all information on a web site at the district’s expense. I have pointed this issue to Mr. Shultz and he assured me a web site would be up and running in 3 to 4 weeks tops. I am waiting, but think that it’s a year overdue. Do you agree the district could do a better job of educating the public and the bond committee?

Also, you stated that the bond committee knows nothing about school finance. Did you know that the Ed code states the school district is to give technical assistance to the Bond oversight committee at the district’s expense? Would you support an effort to bring some financial training to the bond oversight committee? If you are right, it would lend me to believe that the district needs to follow it’s “World of Learners” mission statement and get adequate training to the oversight committee, so there is no misunderstanding and public outrage anymore.

I have posted a letter to the editor on this topic and hope I don’t get shut out by The Star like you did on the Real Vista issue. I am just concerned with the level of lethargy by the trustees. If illegalities occurred and I was a trustee who is legally liable for the bond, I know I’d be pushing for earlier audits and getting stuff on the website ASAP to ensure public confidence in our district was not undermined.

We all know project costs are going way up. Wouldn’t an audit now to ensure no other problems have occurred so far be a prudent response? I think so.

Scott Blough

Scott,Brian,
I've heard that the District has called three meetings with members of the Bond committee to set up the web page but each time the Bond members cancel the meeting. Brian last year I could not be on the bond committee because I was an employee of the District, now that I am not an employee I think I will put in an application to be on the Bond committee. Arleigh

Why do committee members and staff members need to meet about a web page? Staff should just hire someone and get it done, or have high school students build it as a project.

The 1.5 million sounds like union math to me - If it's on the district G/L which means it did indeed get transferred in.

Remember - a $3 billion increase is a cut, and a 1.5 mill transfer is not a transfer.

Right?

Chris