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GUHSD Viking Center to stay open,
layoffs in limbo
By Lori Bledsoe
The Alpine Sun
EL CAJON — Amid downturns in funding,
the Grossmont Union High School District board of trustees is
looking forward towards solutions. The board meeting that took
place on April 2 was filled with concerned parents due to the
state of California’s definite dilemmas regarding budget
deficiencies that are causing every school district to
restructure their operations. The district is working through
the hard times, and is still conscious and aware that they must
look to the future, and prepare for it.
Many parents and employees showed up to voice their
concern regarding the impending cuts that are to be made in the
district. As of last month’s board meeting, layoff notices have
been distributed to employees to comply with a state budget
mandate to notify employees of the future possibility of a
layoff. These layoff notices have not been acted upon yet.
The impact of these layoff notices is causing rumors to
course through the district regarding the actions that are to be
taken. One such rumor is the closing of the Viking Center. The
Viking Center is a special education facility for the severely
disabled. One father brought his son, who attends the Viking
Center to the meeting. His son, who appeared to be agitated, was
clearly and loudly vocalizing throughout the first three
speakers’ presentations. When this father approached the board,
he and his son emphasized the need for the Viking Center. He
told the board that he refused to send his son to a traditional
campus where he may be in danger.
Another parent who brought her daughter also brought a
communication device with her, so that her daughter could ask
the board in her own words to keep the Viking Center open. This
parent, in the course of her daughter’s education, joined the
staff of the Viking Center. She declared that the center needs
all of the staff there, as they are challenged to deal with
situations that come up every day.
Another mother voiced her concerns that if qualified
staff is cut at the Viking Center, mandated care at the Viking
Center will suffer. She also asked the board to address the
rumor that there would be a cut off age for the children to
attend the Viking Center.
Superintendent Collins seriously addressed these
issues.
“It’s disappointing when people put out information
that is untrue. Incorrect, deliberate rumors to incite people,
[that] is sad,” he said. “There is no plan, there has not been a
plan to close the Viking Center.” He reiterated that, “There is
no plan to close it, there is no plan that after age 18 you
can’t be there.”
The Superintendent went on to say, “We have, and this
board has very difficult decisions to make. We have deliberately
delayed those decisions past what other districts have done in
order to ensure that we can do everything possible to retain the
staff in this school district because we recognize its
importance.”
“That’s the message that this board wants every
employee in the district to know,” he said.
The Superintendent recognized the crisis that they are
facing.
“This is the most unique fiscal crisis that this
country has had in our lifetime,” he said. Collins finished by
saying that the board will make very difficult decisions but
they will make them with the best interests of the students of
the district and the best interests of the students at the
Viking Center, along with the interests of every employee at the
district. He pleaded with everyone to wait for fact before
reacting.
Looking forward, the district is still working with the
Proposition Bonds to continue the revitalization of existing
facilities. With the report that was delivered by Project
Manager Katy Wright, the district is still on task, looking
forward to opening the 12th high school in the Alpine area in
2013.
Wright will be bringing a more comprehensive report to
the board in June. The anticipation for the June meeting is to
have as public hearing for the selection of the best site for
the new high school.
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