January/February 2019
Dear Moreland Community,
Moreland’s five-member Board of Trustees is a dedicated group of individuals that has provided a long history of exemplary leadership for our school district. Each January, we celebrate our Board members for the dedication and work they provide and recognize them officially during School Board Recognition month. Moreland’s history as a school district, established in 1851 as the second school district in California, highlights how long community members in the Moreland area have served as a governance team to guide the school district. Our reputation for academic excellence and appreciation for community has carried through as important themes and values held by this community and one which we pass on to our children year after year.
The role of a school board member is unique in that the five-member team works with the Superintendent to guide the vision of the community into policies and actions that meet the needs of Moreland students. This is often a complicated task and one that historically has been very successful with those elected or appointed onto our board in Moreland. Moreland Board members serve for our children and consistently take action in the best interest of the students we serve. Please join me in thanking our Board of Trustees: Brian Penzel, Heather Sutton, Julie Reynolds-Grabbe, and Ryan Sales. They are an important part of our success. (Note: Our fifth board member will be selected through interview process in January and will be announced in February.)
Each January the Governor releases their proposed budget. From January through May the budget is debated and revised and changes are announced in May. Speculating what would be the next step for the budget under Governor Brown became a predictable task. We knew he intended to return some funding to the schools from the huge downturn experienced in 2007-08 and that he would chip away at that goal over time. However, with new Governor, Gavin Newsom, comes new priorities and interests. In his recent proposal, released on January 10th, there are minor changes to the K-12 budget, however, not what is required to bring our public schools above 48th in the nation in school funding. Governor Newsom’s goals to increase affordable housing, support early childhood and preschool, and address issues of poverty will all help our children in California as well, but are not specifically earmarked for K-12 education. Many of the details were undeveloped, yet in his defense, he was only on the job for about a week when the budget was released. We look forward to continuing to advocate for the children of California for an education system which matches what is expected for the children living in a state that holds the title as the sixth largest economy in the world.
Our first few weeks of school in the New Year have been busy. Spring is just around the corner with all the wonderful events to come; school plays, music performances, Open Houses, registration and open enrollments, etc. We will continue to keep you in touch with all of these events through a variety of communication tools. Thank you for your partnership on behalf of your children.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mary Kay Going
