Tracy Pellman: Vigilance for healthy budget

THE RACE FOR OCEAN VIEW SCHOOL DISTRICT

Name: Tracy Pellman

Age: 47

Occupation: Ocean View School District board member and pediatric

registered nurse

Family: Husband, Harry; five daughters.

Community activities: A partial list of my involvement in our

community includes: PTA, president; National Charity League,

president; Huntington Beach Art Center, board member; American

Academy of Pediatric, Orange County Chapter 4; Prevention of Violence

in Children; HB Friends of the Children’s Library Carnival,

volunteer; American Heart Association, county board member; American

Lung Association/Free to Breathe Kite Festival, chair; Clean Air

Award, 2001 County Leader Award Recipient ; AYSO, team parent;

Children’s Needs Task Force, member; Bolsa Chica Conservancy, board

member; Girls Inc.; OC Steering Committee board member and California

School Board Assn., member.

Education: Bachelor’s in nursing.

Favorite leader: Thomas Jefferson.

Contact information: pellman4schoolboard@

earthlink.net.

PELLMAN ON:

* STUDENT SAFETY:

During my 12-year tenure as trustee, I have supported policies

which have resulted in safer schools in Ocean View. We have a strong

zero-tolerance policy, two-way commu-

nications at each site, telephones in every classroom, a viable

site safety plan and a district coordinated emergency plan.

In terms of steps we have taken to ensure student safety, I have

supported the following practices: Assessing school security needs;

monitoring school facilities to ensure a clean, safe environment;

implementing policies that support and reward positive social

behavior; implementing school-wide education and training on safety

and avoiding violence; providing counseling and social services to

students; training school staff in all areas of violence prevention;

building a partnership with local law enforcement; enforcing an

effective discipline policy.

* RAISING STUDENT TEST SCORES:

The measure of any district is found in its ability to not only

educate our students, but measure their accomplishments in the

classroom. Ocean View students have consistently outperformed

students in both the county and state in all areas assessed and

scores have risen substantially every year. The key to raising test

scores is two-fold: hire and maintain the best teachers, and make

sure that each student is continually assessed and monitored on a

consistent basis. Ocean View has an integrated curriculum based on

state standards, and our highly trained staff uses a wide variety of

support materials to ensure success for all students.

* FISCAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DISTRICT:

The Ocean View School District is fiscally sound. This has been

ensured by long-term lease agreements, which generate over $1.6

million dollars annually. The district also aggressively pursues

federal and state grants, which currently provide the district

approximately $2 million annually. The district also maintains a

reserve of 4.5%, which is 1.5% more than the state requires in

anticipation of projected state funding shortfalls. The key to a

healthy budget is vigilance. Maximizing district assets and looking

long-term to meet any unanticipated needs is paramount to

safeguarding our school programs, employee jobs, and facilities.

* BIGGEST ISSUE FACING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT:

The education of our children is a very complex endeavor due to

the mountain of regulations and policies that govern our schools. The

challenges we face are increasing as quickly as the new regulations

increase.

In my view, the single greatest challenge Ocean View will be

facing comes for the state budget office. Substantial state budget

cuts have occurred and continued shortfalls make projected midyear

cuts very likely again for the second year. Most alarming is the

state’s legislative analyst’s office, which projects ongoing state

budget shortfalls on the order of $10 billion per year for each of

the next five years. I believe that our conservative fiscal policy,

which has allowed us to maintain a healthy budget reserve, along with

our long-term lease income property ($83 million over 65 years) is

keeping the district in the black. We have not gone to the community

for a bond, nor have we had to cut programs or jobs to meet our

financial obligations.