Desert Local News - Index

Desert Local News - Desert Local News Print and Virtual Edition April 17 2008 - Index

6 LOCAL NEWS
TEACHERS FIGHTING FOR THEIR JOBS
As Desert Sands Unified School District Faces Crisis
By LesLie andreWs
Teachers and parents crowed the
boardroom at the desert sands
Unified School District headquarters
while school officials discuss finding
ways to challenge budget cuts in
education.
DSUSD faces a deficit, which may
result in the layoff of 118 teachers.
Fiscal officer Cindy McDaniel
discussed many ideas on curbing
the deficit and hopefully saving
jobs. “A deficit was discovered this
year, where additional cuts became
possible,” she said. “in projecting
revenues, we lost $3.5 million
related to the deficit, plus another
$7.3 million.”
California’s budget crisis led to cuts
in many programs, which include
home-To-school transportation and
special education. dsusd will be
losing $2.4, and expenditures are
The city of desert hot springs
may become a tenant, paying rent,
instead of owner of its city hall. John
Wessman, controversial developer
of the long neglected palm springs
Fashion plaza , will have the city of
desert hot springs as a tenant on
his 10-acre property located adjacent
to the current city hall if plans
drawn on paper come true.
Jerry ogburn, principle designer
for The planning Center, architects
of the town redevelopment, envisions
an attractive new city hall on
the choice vacant property west of
the police station adjacent the high
school. it is property once owned
by mission springs Water Board
director, John Furbee.
also included in the plans are a
youth center, community swimming
pool, retail stores and City hall.
only three years ago desert hot
springs obtained a $385,000 federal
grant to design a new civic center.
That plan has been “put on the back
going up.
dsusd began soliciting ideas that
will hopefully combat the proposed
budget cuts. immediately, the
district has cut spending by 15%,
stopped paying overtime and have
placed a hiring freeze on vacant
positions. mcdaniel remarked, “so
far, we have received 220 emails
suggesting ideas.” The district has
cut athletic programs, textbook purchasing
and may change class size
reduction from 20 to 25 students per
teacher.
Budgeting issues dating back six
years has had effects for the district.
dsusd cut many programs then.
The district also grew, building new
schools.
mcdaniel explained that dsusd
has mandatory reserves of $7 million.
“If the state cuts that require-
burner,” according to City Councilman
scott matas.
after Wessman bought the
property he jumped the value from
$1 million to $10 million at which
point negotiations for the project
became difficult. It was considered
overpriced and out of reach for the
city to pursue said former Councilman
hank hohenstein. “We couldn’t
go forward,” hohenstein said.
Wessman remains an enigmatic
developer with great contention in
palm springs . While his company
has scored some development success
in the valley, his project in
palm springs languishes in public
debate. Wessman development
Corporation spokesmen were not
available for comment.
“having a city paying rent for
a city hall is not unusual,” said ogburn.
“it’s only a proposal. nothing
has been approved. it’s not
carved in stone. No specifics have
ment in half, then we have an extra
$3.5 million to use,” she said.
assistant superintendent Charlene
Whitlinger mentioned that the area
has not experienced much growth
lately, due to the economy. “This
year, we lost 375 students,” she
mentioned. “We get paid money
per student.” she also believes
that there is still hope that 118 jobs
could be spared. “We will do everything
in our power to minimize
teacher layoffs,” she said.
Whitlinger hopes that there will be
some retiring or transitioning so that
positions could be spared.
pat Walsh, principal of palm desert
high school, commented, “The
school board has some tough decisions
to make. We can discuss ways
to work through this crisis. i have
confidence in them.”
City Hall: Rent or Own?
By sTaFF
been given,” said Councilman Karl
Baker. “What’s been talked about
is having city hall downstairs and
leasing the upstairs to the College
of the desert. i’ve yet to see anything
beyond the idea stage so i
don’t know the plus and minus of
the project yet.”
in past years cities were able
to use rda funds to build new city
halls. That is how Cathedral City
built their civic center and how
many cities built new city halls.
desert hot springs currently owns
the city hall (Carl may Center) dedicated
in 1972.
“money for a new city hall is
not high on my list of priorities given
other needs in our city like repairing
our residential streets, said
Councilman russell Betts. “a new
city hall is way down on the list of
priorities. When it does come time,
the city should not be a renter in
that facility.”
CALL NOW! 760- 834-5717
The AD MAN
Soap Box Derby,
free rock concerts
and more...
By dean gray
one road on a special hill
may come-alive next year with
the swift swoosh of soap boxes
barreling downhill towards a
checkered flag with some wildeyed
kid at the wheel.
That will be a reality for
desert hot springs if a valleywide
“all age” parks and recreation
program is brought to
town under the direction of the
Coachella valley recreation
and parks district soapbox
derby program.
The Cvrpd, founded in
1950, has supported the soapbox
derby in La Quinta for the
last 14 years.
Cvrpd district director
stan Ford visited desert hot
springs and spoke about bringing
the program to town. The
program will bring diversity
to a city that struggles without
specialty youth activities.
”There’s little else to serve
the teens and middle ages of a
growing population. Too many
are drawn towards vandalism
and various troubles due to lack
of engaging activities,” said
Ford.
“it’s a popular program. in
new mexico we had more cars
than kids. every car body, repair
and parts business shop
sponsored a kid’s car. it gave
the kids something valuable to
do,” said Ford.
Cvrpd provides recreation
and parks services to 14 communities
from the salton sea
to rancho mirage. Ford tried
to discuss annexation of desert
hot springs a few years ago but
was met with disinterest by civic
leaders who “stood me up” at
the arranged meetings.
“desert hot springs has the
best views in the valley,” remarked
Ford. “i visited Coyote
park and imagined places there
where we could offer music.”
The hillside suggests several
pockets where a community
amphitheater might fit.
Cvrpd programs include
free music concerts by groups
like The Turtles, The grass
roots, Foghat, and the several
tribute bands.
The district is active and
successful in using developer
fees, partnered with grants from
county, state and federal sources,
to acquire parklands that are
unknown and out of the normal
reach of communities like desert
hot springs.
“The past administration
didn’t return their phone calls,”
said Councilman scott matas
speaking of calls from Cvrpd
offering help. “The past council
didn’t know about the district.
We’re going about it differently
now.”
“The district can help us
create a strategic or master plan
at much less cost than the city
doing it alone. We’re finding
money in the budget to make
this work. it’s even possible
we could contract for services
from the district just to get
things started so we don’t have
to wait.”
The district has over 50
full-time staff members and
over 300 part-time. if the community
of desert hot springs
chose to join the district it
would first pass a city council
resolution, then petition LaF-
Co for admittance to the sphere
of influence. This could take
only a couple months.
a special assessment district
would be funded by $5 a month
assessment per household.