ON THE AGENDA Here are some of...

ON THE AGENDA

Here are some of the items the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District board of trustees will be discussing tonight.

E-CAMPUS

Board trustees will consider an agreement that would allow

students to take online courses. American democracy and economics

classes will be offered online this summer and next year.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The pilot program will allow students to take online classes for

credit. Classes will meet once a week and students will do most of

their coursework via computer.

Robert Hiles, who teaches American democracy at Corona del Mar

High School, and Kent Williams, who teaches economics at Estancia

High School, will receive training in online instruction from the

Florida Virtual School, which runs the program. District

administrators had an informational meeting for interested students

earlier this month.

Students who are accepted to the program will attend an

orientation meeting prior to the start of summer school.

During the 2004-05 school year, pilot courses in the two subjects

will be taught at selected schools and a third course will be taught

at Back Bay High School.

MEASURE A

The board will hear quarterly reports on the progress of Measure A

from the citizens’ oversight committee and project managers. Measure

A is the $110-million school improvement plan funded by local and

state-issued bonds.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Measure A improvements, now in the second year, are mostly

completed at the first group of schools and are progressing at the

second group.

Small detail work at the group one schools remain at those

schools. Work is still being done on restrooms at Kaiser Elementary

School and a new bus turnout is scheduled to be built this summer at

Harbor View Elementary.

The state division of architects has approved plans for the rest

of the schools scheduled for improvements. Construction on the second

group of schools continues “with no major unforeseen changes to

date,” according to a report from project managers at McCarthy

Building Companies.

In the second quarter of 2004, the company will bid and award work

for Newport Harbor High School, window replacement at Kaiser, Harbor

View’s bus turnout and placing new re-locatable classrooms.

LABOR AGREEMENT

The Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers and the district reached a

tentative agreement last month on a three-year proposal to amend nine

contract articles. Items negotiated include days and hours of

employment, evaluation, grievance procedure and salaries.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Union members ratified the tentative agreement last week. Total

estimated salary and benefit increase is nearly $2.7 million or 3.54%

for next year and 1.82 percent the following year.

For 2004-05, schools have the option of establishing the number of

instructional minutes for kindergarten classes within the state’s

requirements. Instructional minutes for grades one through three will

be increased above the state required minimum.

The agreement covers revised language in the sections about days

and hours of employment, union rights, evaluation, peer assistance

and review, transfers, leaves, salaries, health and welfare benefits

and grievance procedure.

-- Marisa O’Neil