Students, educators keep positive outlook in spite of challenges

Kevin Grasel is looking forward to spending another year with his friends at Moorpark High, eager to enjoy the perks of being a senior.

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers GETTING ACQUAINTED—Campus Canyon Elementary School Principal Stephanie Brazell, center, and teacher Deb Sontag, right, chat with Eleanor Soto and her children, Joseantonio, 6, and Bianca, 2, Monday at the Campus Canyon back-to-school picnic. Many parents are anxious to know what impact budget cuts will have on Moorpark’s classrooms. But unlike his predecessors, Kevin is uneasy about the future of public education because he knows that budget cuts have diminished resources at all levels.

“I’m sure budget cuts will make a huge impact on everyone at MHS, but I’m sure we will all find ways to cope,” he said.

Kevin is a leader in the MHS band program, as well as a member of National Honor Society and the California Scholarship Federation. His main goal, he said, is to find a college where he can earn degrees in music and political science.

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers FINAL DAYS OF SUMMER—From left, Andrea Amezcua, 5, Jesus Meza, 10, Juan Pablo Meza, 7, and Jasmine Castro, 4, play games on Aug. 24 at the Campus Canyon Elementary School picnic. An estimated 7,280 MUSD students will return to class on Monday. Liz LaCoste, who will be a sophomore at MHS, is ready to start the new semester with enthusiasm and more wisdom. She’ll dedicate more time to her academic work to improve her grades, she said.   “This year I know what to expect when it comes to the balance of my personal life, band, and school,” she said.

The state’s budget issues have also been on her mind recently, LaCoste said, because shortages could affect the MHS music program, which she doesn’t want to lose, and cutbacks threaten the stability of her family, since her father works at Oxnard College. “Lately, with all the budget cuts we’ve been on our toes hoping that he won’t be cut,” she said.

School leaders have also been on edge, but are doing their best, they said, to maintain a positive outlook.

The district’s theme for the 2009/2010 school year is to embrace changes with creativity and flexibility, said Superintendent Ellen Smith.

“We had a lot of team effort in dealing with this huge crisis,” she said.

Cuts have reduced MUSD’s budget by 19.5 percent, or $11.3 million, since 2008, but the district is moving forward, restructuring programs and adjusting operations to concentrate on student needs, Smith said.

“In these challenging times, we can’t lose sight of our goals— to prepare students to be work ready and college ready in the 21st-century environment.”

According to Smith, teachers, employees, students and residents have already demonstrated they can work together in creative ways to counteract budget cutbacks.

Every employee in the school district agreed to take four unpaid days off and make higher copayments for medical and dental services to help MUSD make ends meet this year.

For now, Smith said, the district won’t reduce classroom days, but that could change if the state makes mid-year budget cuts, as many have predicted.

Enrollment at MUSD is projected at 7,280 this fall, compared to 7,322 in last year. School officials anticipate the decline in enrollees will level off in two years. About 2,400 students will report to Moorpark High on Monday, said new principal Jason Peplinski.

“We’re all very excited for the school year to begin, and although we face certain challenges, the staff at MHS is ready to work hard and maintain the level of excellence it is committed too,” he saidDue to budget cuts, the schoolost the equivalent of five teachers, so everyone is taking on more responsibilities, Peplinski said. MUSD class sizes will average 28 students for kindergarten through third grade and 31 pupils for fourth and fifth grade. Middle and high school class sizes are targeted at 35 students in core classes, such as English and math, Smith said.

Walnut Canyon Elementary third-grade teacher Cathy Lasure, who’s been with the district for 14 years, said she’s prepared for future changes.

Although larger class sizes may be challenging for students at first, they’ll adapt, Lasure said.

While setting up desks and organizing lesson plans Monday, Lasure said that teamwork, along with new technology provided by the district, will help teachers cope with increased demands.

“The kids are the most important, not the teachers. We’re going to count on families for support. It’s going to be different, but I think it’s going to be okay,” Lasure said.

Federal funds recently released under the stimulus program will help the district reestablish intervention programs that were eliminated by state cuts, she said.

At the meeting Monday, trustees looked at the status of Measure S projects.

Moorpark voters approved the $39.5-million bond measure last November. About half of the $11million bond money obtained so far has been used to purchase interactive white boards, computers and accessories, and one-quarter of the funds went to structural improvements at Moorpark High. Also, several schools had resurfacing projects this summer.