SBUnified
NOTICE is hereby given that the Santa Barbara Unified School District is accepting applications from interested citizens to serve on the District’s independent oversight committee with respect to its general obligation bonds, approved by District voters at the November 8, 2016 election and known as Measure I and J. The Committee consists of seven members, which meet quarterly to review and report on expenditures of funds to ensure bond money is used only for voter-approved purposes. At this time, there are four vacancies on the Committee which the Board seeks to fill (see attachment for current member terms and expiration dates):
- One (1) member shall be both a parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the District and active in a parent-teacher organization, such as the P.T.A. or a school site council.
- One (1) member active in a business organization representing the business community located in the District.
- One (1) member active in a senior citizens’ organization.
- One (1) member active in a bona-fide taxpayers association.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and may not be employees or officials of the District, nor a vendor, contractor, or consultant to the District. Interested persons may obtain an application from the Business Services Office, located at 720 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA, or download the application from the District’s website at www.sbunified.org. Applications will be accepted until positions are filled. Please submit completed applications at the Business Services Office, or to Allison Fore, fiscal administrative assistant at afore@sbunified.org.
Bylaws 5.1-2
The Committee shall consist of at least seven (7) members appointed by the Board
from a list of candidates submitting written applications, and based on criteria established by
Prop 39, to wit:
- One (1) member shall be the parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the District.
- One (1) member shall be both a parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the District and active in a parent-teacher organization, such as the P.T.A. or a school site council.
- One (1) member active in a business organization representing the business community located in the District.
- One (1) member active in a senior citizens’ organization.
- One (1) member active in a bona-fide taxpayers association.
- Two (2) members of the community at-large.
5.2 Qualification Standards.
(a) To be a qualified person, he or she must be at least 18 years of age.
(b) The Committee may not include any employee, official of the District or any
vendor, contractor or consultant of the District.
Current Members
(Terms are for 2 years and may be renewed 3 times)
| Member, Senior Citizens Organization | Frank Stevens, Chair | 3rd term
expired March 2021 |
| Member, Community-at-Large | Lang Sligh, Vice-Chair | 3rd term
expired March 2021 |
| Member, Community-at-Large | Deanna Morinini | 3rd term
expires Sept. 2024 |
| Member, business organization representative | Jennifer Lee | 1st term
expires April 2025 |
| Member, Parent/Guardian of SBUSD student | Mike Barnick | 2nd term
expires June 2024 |
| Member, Parent/Guardian of SBUSD student AND active in parent-teacher organization | vacant | |
| Member, taxpayers association | vacant |
Many who are concerned about the unmet needs of our most vulnerable students, and the exodus of our teachers because they are not paid competitively have been on advisory councils. Personally I have been on the literacy task force for two years and the LCAP advisory board for three. I will continue to show up because I know we can do better and know that many in our community count on public education. Advocates and parents who speak up led to our district changing its use of a flawed reading approach, “Lucy Calkins” to an evidenced based approach, “Wit and Wisdom” which includes so much more than Lucy Calkins cueing system. It includes vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, phonic and phonemic awareness. This change would not have happened without people speaking out. Implementing it well will mean we need to train teachers and paying them more so our training does not leave when they leave for better pay and less chaos.People who speak out care about best practices and not afraid to say what is true.Our vulnerable students have painfully low scores and do not graduate taking the A-G’s.. so they can’t go to a UC. I don’t see pointing out best practices and how our students do deserve more as do our teachers as ” constantly complaining” . I have participated on many advisory panels and in all cases found that there were foregone conclusions by Superintendent and participation was performative. Despite this I still show up because I like to be informed and keep our community informed on what can help our most vulnerable students and practices that work elsewhere. I invite you to drop your negative assumptions about those that want change. Certainly many who speak out care a great deal and are taking action instead of apathetically agreeing with everything when the outcomes for thousands of our students are dismal.Thousands in SBUSD graduate without taking the A-G’s. And 60% are not reading at grade level. Speaking out for change is a way to focus on the common good, closing the dismal achievement gap and help our vulnerable students avoid the school to prison pipeline. Blind optimism does not help meet the unmet needs of our students sadly but speaking up does eventually make change.
For those who constantly complain about the local school system, here’s your chance to make a difference.
ANON – we have plenty of vocal candidates here! It would mean doing more than just complaining from the safety of a keyboard though.