School Board Wrap-Up

The following is from the July 23 meeting of the Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education.

Apple Computers gets nod

The board approved Apple Computer as the soul source provider of products, software and services for non-Windows-based computers, as advised by an independent consultant hired to review the district’s requirements. The consultant, Jack Plicet, reported that Apple products are used extensively throughout the district, provide a high level of service, and are the only non-Windows products available.

WHAT IT MEANS

The district will acquire non-Windows-based computers and software only from Apple Computer.

El Morro parking lot road contract

The board approved a $89,000 contract with Psomas Civil Engineering for the design, regulatory investigation and development of an egress road from the existing parking lot at El Morro Elementary School. The firm’s bid was not the lowest, but the district does not have to accept the lowest bid on the project, said Norma Shelton, superintendent of business services.

“They [Psomas] were the most responsive to what we asked for in the RFP,” Shelton said. “They will provide everything we need to move forward.”

WHAT IT MEANS

The access road to the El Morro parking lot will be built when the adjacent Crystal Cove State Park project is reactivated. The park project was halted in midstream due to state budget cuts.

Shelton said it is prudent to move forward with the road plan in order to be prepared if and when the park project restarts construction at some future date. However, there is no timeline for the project, because “there are too many unknowns,” said Eric Jetta, who heads the district’s facilities department.

School bus fare increase

The board approved a 5.02% cost of living increase for school bus transportation for the 2009-10 school year.

While Durham School Services, which operates the district’s bus service, has not increased its rate for the 2009-10 school year, the state is anticipated to reduce its overall funding to the district by 20%, Shelton said, adding that the district traditionally subsidizes bus service.

WHAT IT MEANS

The cost of bus service for the next school year will be $1.54 per day round trip, 7 cents more than the $1.47 cost for the 2008-09 school year.

Cafeteria prices increased

The board approved increases in the cost of breakfasts and lunches in the cafeterias, which Shelton said is necessary to offset a significant increase in food prices as well as increased cost from replacing Styrofoam products with environmentally friendly paper products. The cost of labor and benefits has also increased. In addition, the district is not able to obtain federally subsidized food products to reduce expenditures, she said.

WHAT IT MEANS

Breakfast will increase by 25 cents to $2.50, and lunch increased by 40 cents to $3.75, which Shelton said is comparable to other school districts. The per-meal increase will raise the cafeteria fund annual revenues by $53,600 to $638,600, and reduce the district’s subsidy of the meal program from $60,700 to $7,100.