The Santee School District Board of Education met at 6 p.m. August 20, 2024. Meeting highlights included:
Discussion and/or Action Items
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The Board appointed Derek de Geus as Director of Transportation. Mr. Geus has over 20 years of experience in overseeing school transportation operations. He most recently served as the Transportation Manager for the Chula Vista Elementary School District, and was with the Cajon Valley Union School District prior to that from 2011 to 2023.
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The Board discussed the timeline for the provisional appointment process to fill the remainder of the term for Seat #5, which expires in 2026. An appointee must be approved by the Board and sworn in by September 30, 2024. Key next steps include:
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August 23 – September 3: Solicit candidate applications
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September 4 – 6: Board Ad Hoc Committee reviews candidate applications and eligibility
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September 10 (Special Meeting): Conduct interviews during a Special Meeting and appoint provisional appointee
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September 11: District posts notice of vacancy and provisional appointment (Ed Code 5092)
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September 17 (Board Meeting): Appointee Sworn-in
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The Board authorized the creation of a Child Nutrition Services Coordinator position. The position description and application will be posted to the district's website once open.
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The Board approved Proposition 28: Arts and Music in Schools Funding Annual Report for fiscal year 2023-24. For the 2023-24 school year the District’s Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) program was staffed by seven dedicated educators specializing in music or theater, bringing expertise and passion to their teaching. Each week, students participated in engaging activities designed to develop their skills and confidence. The program is structured to provide consistent exposure to the arts ensuring a balanced and comprehensive arts education. The Annual Report is available for review in the Board Packet.
Board Policies and Bylaws
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The Board approved revised Board Policy (BP) 4354.1 – Early Retirement Health Benefits for Management/Confidential Employees. In September 2022, the Board approved an increase to the District’s health benefit contribution from $7,000 to $12,000 for employees who work 30-40 hours per week. Board Policy 4354.1 is updated to reflect the increase of the annual cap to $12,000 ($1,000 per month).
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The Board held a first hearing for Revised BP and AR 4119.25/4219.25/4319.25 – Political Activities of Employees Policy. Policy updated to recognize the importance of employee political activity, voting, and civic engagement, and reflect Pickering v. Board of Education Township High School District regarding the prohibition against dismissing or demoting an employee due to engagement in constitutionally protected political activity. Regulation updated to reflect law which makes it a misdemeanor to use any reproduction of the district's seal in any campaign literature or mass mailing with the intent to deceive voters, the prohibition against posting or distributing political campaign materials in classrooms or through distance learning platforms, and the court's decision in San Leandro Teachers Association v. Governing Board of San Leandro Unified School District regarding the district's ability to refuse to permit the use of school mailboxes for union communications involving candidate endorsements. Regulation also updated to delete material regarding employee organization communications which do not constitute political activity and to delete material regarding employee activities during a concerted action or work stoppage.
The next meeting of the Santee School District Board of Education will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, September 3, 2024, in the Educational Resource Center, 9619 Cuyamaca, Santee. Meetings can also be live-streamed at santeesd.net/LiveBoardMeeting.
Note: These are not official meeting minutes of the Board of Education but rather a brief recap of the Board’s actions. For official meeting minutes and a complete list of actions taken, click here.