LEUSD To Get New Virtual School

During its regularly scheduled board meeting Thursday night, the Lake Elsinore Unified School District voted unanimously to move forward on plans to reconfigure Gordon Kiefer Independent Study School and Tri-Valley Community Day School for the 2011-12 school year to accommodate a K-12 Virtual School.

Currently, Gordon Kiefer Independent Study School provides an alternative to traditional classroom instruction; Tri-Valley Community Day School provides an alternative program for students who are unsuccessful in the regular public school setting. Both schools are located in Lake Elsinore.

Plans are still in the early stages and a curriculum has yet to be adopted, but board members agreed that offering virtual education may help retain students who are at risk of dropping out.

“We won’t be shuttering these schools. We think this (reconfiguration) is a move in the right direction,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Passarella, noting that student dropouts result in lost funding for the district.

During the meeting, Michael Taylor, LEUSD’s executive director for fiscal support services, said that as of Dec. 17, declining enrollment has led to $500,000 in lost funding for the district.

In other district news, during Thusday's meeting the board unanimously voted to approve the Lake Elsinore Teachers Association’s collective bargaining agreement.

Board member Stan Crippen said the district is a standout in contract negotiations with its teachers.

“I believe we are the envy of the county, if not the state,” he said.

Two items that were scheduled to be heard during Thursday’s meeting –- -- were pulled from the agenda in order to allow more time for community input.

According to Mark Dennis, the district's coordinator of community and media relations, a public hearing on the properties will be held March 3 at 6 p.m. in the LEUSD's new board room (see attached flyer for more information).