Measure C wins, Gus Kramer keeps his job, and David Livingston is elected our new sheriff

Mount Diablo Unified School District's Measure C bond passed with 61 percent of the vote, clearing the 55-percent hurdle it needed to win. Thirty-nine percent of voters said no.

Meanwhile, Gus Kramer will be keeping his job as Contra Costa County Assessor, winning 55 percent of the vote. Mark Peterson was is ahead in the District Attorney's race, but not by a majority. He will face a November runoff against his rival, Dan O'Malley.

David Livingston was elected Sheriff with 56 percent of the vote.

See more specifics on the Measure C race here on Walnut Creek Patch, and on these other Contra Costa County races here.

MDUSD parents: Do you think you've been inappropriately lobbied to vote a certain way in the Measure C race?

The Mayor of Claycord shares a story from a fellow Claycordian about what this parent viewed as some pretty heavy-handed pro-Measure C lobbying from her child's elementary school principal.

The anonymous writer said she went to an orientation for her daughter to start kindergarten at an unnamed school in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

Claycord.com quoted the parent as saying:

"In with the kindergarten packet was one sheet of paper telling me why I needed to vote “YES” on Measure C in the upcoming election. She then went on to give us a 15-minute speech on why it was the most important vote we will make this year and how our children are depending on us to vote “YES.'"

I am accustomed to superintendents in the two school districts I live in--Walnut Creek and Acalanes Union--to send out e-mails urging us parents to vote one way or another--usually yes--on school-related parcel tax or bond measures. That seems to be par for the course. But did the administrator at this school cross some kind of line in advocating parents to vote in favor the the $348 million bond measure next Tuesday.

According to this Crazy poll, Measure C is gonna lose

There is one day left to participate in this Crazy in Suburbia poll on the Mt Diablo Unifed School District bond measure; so far 63 percent of the 138 polled said they would vote no, 32 percent said yes. Six percent are still undecided.

I am the first to say that this poll is not scientific. However, the results of the poll I conducted on the recent Measure A parcel tax election for the Acalanes Unified School District turned out to be pretty on target, predicting within 1 percentage point the final winning result--68.5 percent--of that May 4 election.

Measure C purports "to support quality education and safety for local students, and reduce impacts of State budget cuts by improving science, career and technical education facilities; upgrading classroom instructional technology; repairing leaky roofs; improving safety; maximizing energy efficiency including adding solar panels and modern air conditioning; and repairing, replacing, equipping or modernizing other school facilities."

As we near voting day, June 8, the Contra Costa Times published this no on C guest column, and one that doesn't come from the usual suspects: the folks who generally oppose any kind of new taxes.

This column, published last Wednesday, comes from activists in the MDUSD. They are: A.J. Fardella,of Pittsburg, who was a member of the district's Measure C Bond Oversight Committee; Carla Ludwig, of Walnut Creek, and Karen Barta, of Martinez, who are former members of CUES (Community United for Excellent Schools).

As you can read, they question whether the $348 million facilities bond is affordable and responsible. They also question whether this is the only option available to offset the devastating cuts to education. And they are concerned about what they call the behind-closed-doors approach the district used to formulate the bond measure, "without community input, including that of the current Measure C Bond Oversight Committee."

"We completely agree that a local funding source is required, but we don't agree Measure C is the right vehicle or that it is affordable or responsible."

They point out that Measure C is an extension of the 2002 Measure C bond, has a term of 42 years, and will generate $348 million in revenue. But it will cost $1.87 billion.

"The bond measure was approved by the board in March, but it wasn't until April when a reporter asked for the cost analysis that MDUSD disclosed the overall cost to taxpayers."

The district says that the money raised will provide a wide range of school improvements.

But with regard to the solar program, the district has "not provided a comprehensive plan showing revenues and expenses over time," these writers say. As for the after-school facilities, the district has not listed any improvements except for playground equipment at a handful of elementary schools, the writers contend.

Their solution: "This district can and should do the hard work necessary to pass a parcel tax; a funding source that can actually save programs at this crucial point in time."

Numbers growing of kids in need of free, discounted meals at some Walnut Creek schools

An interesting bit of data popped up at a meeting earlier this month between Walnut Creek School District and Walnut Creek City officials. In talking about the need to preserve the counseling program at Walnut Creek elementary and middle schools, despite budget cuts, Superintendent Patty Wool noted that a growing number of students might be in need of help, possibly because their families are facing financial hardship in this down economy.  As evidence of this financial hardship, she noted that a growing number of students in the district are qualifying for free or reduced-priced lunches.  

Since 1946, the National School Lunch Program has provided free and reduced-priced lunches to school children from "economically disadvantaged" families. Public and nonprofit private schools can participate and get subsidies from the US Deaprtment of Agriculture. 

Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free meals.Those with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced‐price meals. The 2009 federal poverty level for a family of four is $22,050. 

The numbers of students in school receiving free or reduced-priced lunches can offer an economic picture of the neighborhood or community that school serves. To Wool, the increasing number of students in her district needing this help shows that a growing number of people in Walnut Creek are hurting from the economy. 

But these sorts of numbers are going up in most places. Between 2005 and 2009, the number of meals served under the National School lunch program increased by 7 percent in California, and by 4 percent in the United States. In 2009, 574,619,337 meals were served to California students; nationally that number was 5,185,316,342.


This first chart (Soccer Mom trying to play with Google graphs) shows schools and districts that experienced the most notable increases in the percentage of students in their populations who qualified for free or reduced-priced meals. The school years covered are 1998-99, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2008-09.

This second graph shows percentage of students in Contra Costa County, the three Walnut Creek school districts, and individual schools who qualified to receive free and reduced priced lunches. The region, district and schools are listed in the order (top to bottom) of those with the highest percentages. This data, from the California Department Education, shows percentages for the school years 1998-99, 2003-04, 2005-06 and 2008-09. The numbers in some schools stayed steady, some went down, but a fair number increased a little or a lot. 


Special note: In my playing with charts, I left off the percentages for Walnut Acres Elementary, which consistently had the lowest percentage of students in this program. No disrespect to Walnut Acres. Those numbers are: 1998-99, 1; 2003-04, 1; 2005-06, 2; 2008-09, 2. 

Reminder: School bands and choral groups perform to save Mt. Diablo music programs

Bands, orchestras and vocal groups from elementary, middle and high schools in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District will perform today at the All Area Music Festival.

The event takes place, starting at 2 p.m., at Concord's Sleep Train Pavilion. Tickets are available at the box office starting at 1 p.m. and are $12 for adults and $6 for students. The event is sponsored by the Mt. Diablo Music Education Foundation, which is trying to save music classes in the district's schools.

Twenty-five music teachers in the district, including the director of Northgate High's acclaimed music program, learned at the district's meeting this week that they would be laid off. The district is making the cuts in response to the state budget crisis. The district is also looking to eliminate fifth grade music.

How do Walnut Creek school districts measure up when it comes to spending on teacher salaries?

An Oakland Tribune education writer has put together an interesting spread sheet that examines what percentage of their budgets school districts in Alameda and Contra Costa counties spend on salaries for teachers and instructional aides. 


By law, according to reporter Katy Murphy, unified school districts in California must spend at least 55 percent of their expenses on classroom teachers and instructional aides. For elementary school districts it’s 60 percent; for high school districts it’s just 50 percent. 


Murphy was initially focused on Oakland Unified when she began collecting data, but she found other interesting numbers as well for the 2008-09 year that apply to other East Bay Districts.  Here's the percentage spent by districts that serve Walnut Creek:


Walnut Creek Elementary: 67 percent
Mt. Diablo Unified: 62 percent
Acalanes Union High School District: 56 percent (by the way the lowest percentage in Contra Costa County)


Also:
Lafayette Elementary: 67 percent
San Ramon Valley Unified: 64 percent


UPDATE: You asked, I was able to find out. I was sharing an interesting tidbit of information I came across, but a reader also wanted to know what teacher salaries were in each district. Good question. And here you go. This is the average salary for a teacher in each district in 2008-09 and the data comes from the California Department of Education, School Fiscal Services Division: 

Walnut Creek Elementary: $65,472

Mt. Diablo Unified: $61,095

Acalanes Union High School District: $75,477

Also:

Lafayette Elementary: $64,182

San Ramon Valley Unified: $64,717

Is your favorite MDUSD teacher on this layoff list?

About 170 teachers and other credentialed employees in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District don't know yet whether they will have jobs next fall. 

Music teachers take up a fair number of spots on this list, writes Contra Costa Times reporter Theresa Harrington. That's because the school board has agreed to eliminate fifth-grade instrumental music next year. Here is a photo of instrumental music students at Delta View Elementary performing. 

Teachers who have received preliminary layoff notices will be able to attend public administrative hearings regarding the credentials or seniority starting Tuesday. You can view the names of teachers who are on the certified layoff list on the district's website. 

The new condemned: Mt. Diablo Unified to draw up a list of schools to close

Trustees for this 55-school, 35,000-student district are intent on closing a school, or two, or three or more.  They haven't identified which schools that are likely to be on this condemned list. They will be talking about a timeline and criteria for closing schools at their meeting this evening.

Mt. Diablo Unified, like all districts around here, is facing horrendous budget times. Mt. Diablo's annual $300 million budget must shrink to $257 million Adding insult to this injury is the fact that Mt. Diablo's enrollment is declining--by more than 700 students. That means less money from the state. Mt. Diablo's per-pupil spending is around $8,388. 

By closing a school, the district could save $400,000 to $500,000, which trustees say could help maintain other vital programs in the district.

Obviously, this is a difficult, emotional issue. Kids and families become attached to their neighborhood school, even if--let's face it--some neighborhood schools are not such great schools. For many, the local elementary school in particular becomes the center of a neighborhood, of its identity and its social life. To split up students from one school and send them across town to others can mean the end of friendships and the loss of a sense of community.

I went through a school closure when I was in high school, and it was pretty awful for many of the students and faculty. This was at a time when the district I was in, the Acalanes Union district, was facing declines in enrollment. I did okay, starting a new school my junior year, but it was devastating for many of the juniors who had to split up and start a new high school their senior year.

The school closures in the Mt. Diablo district won't happen right away. Trustees will create a committee to evaluate campuses according to physical conditions size, academic performance, and proximity to other campuses. The committee will examine these issues, and the board will finalize its closure list by next January.

Students rally to save arts, electives and other programs in our schools

State budget cuts are threatening to cut English, science, foreign language, social studies, mathematics and arts classes in the Acalanes Union High School District. The elective programs at risk are studio art, academic decathlon, band, choral music, drama, digital design, mock trial, public speaking, student newspapers.

State budget cuts are also threatening fourth and fifth grade instrumental music programs in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

To save these programs, Acalanes district students will be holding a rally in downtown Lafayette Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. They are asking property owners who reside within the district’s boundaries to support the $112-per parcel Measure A tax. For more information about the rally, or Measure A, check out the About Measure A website. 

Join us at this one of a kind event, brought to you by students, teachers, administrators, and parents working together to celebrate our excellent schools. Come support all students – your kids, friends, and neighbors – and the extraordinary programs currently at risk. Bring the whole family!

Meanwhile, the Mt. Diablo Music Education Foundation is offering you the chance to win a cruise for four to Vancouver, or a five-day, four-night vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida.  

A $10 donation buys you won chance to win one of these prizes. A $20 donation buys you three chances to win. And so on… The seven-night Disney cruise to Florida is valued at $9,000. Make your donations now, and find out on May 15, during a drawing at the MDMEF Musical Festival at Sleep Train Pavilion whether you and your family won. To donate, go to the foundation's website. 

Mt. Diablo school board to make more cuts tonight

The Mt. Diablo School Board is expected to vote tonight on cutting 11 non-teaching positions and scaling back the workdays of about 125 school office workers.

These cuts are seen as a compromise worked out after the district said it needed to slash the jobs of 23 school secretaries to save $1.1 million a year, the Contra Costa Times reports. The district needs to cut $31 million over the next four years, and is also looking at instituting furlough days and eliminating three days from this school year.

The new reductions would save more than $1.4 million and specifically involve cutting the positions of three operations and maintenance workers, eight adult education employees and reducing the hours and workdays of elementary school secretaries, office managers, and middle and high school office employees.

The meeting takes place 7:30 p.m. at the district offices, 1936 Carlotta Drive, Concord. 

Mt. Diablo school board OKs tough budget cuts, including 200 teacher layoffs and shortening the school year

About 400 parents, teachers and staff packed the cafeteria at Monte Gardens Elementary Tuesday night, as the Mt. Diablo Unified School District board began to make painful decisions about programs and jobs to cut.

The district has to cut $48 million over the next four years. KTVU reports that trustees went through proposed reductions item by item. As of late Tuesday evening, trustees had approved "reductions to special education, adult education, summer school sessions, hours worked by office and maintenance workers as well as shortening the school year to cut costs."

"As a result of the decisions, some 200 teachers, librarians, counselors and others can expect layoff notices Monday," KTVU further reported.

The board also decided to and to move forward with a $348 million facilities bond measure in June.

These cuts will likely mean raising class sizes and shortening the school year by as many as five days. In order to save 19 clerical and maintenance jobs, some workers would see a work day reduced from eight hours to six hours, resulting in 10 fewer work days a year.

Mt. Diablo district to consider 200 lay-offs and cutting three days from the school year

The Mt. Diablo Unified School District board will vote Tuesday on making $48.8 million in cuts over the next four years that could lead to laying off 200 credentialed employees, shortening the school year, and making more than $8 million in cuts to special education.

The Contra Costa Times also said that trustees would consider placing a $348 million bond measure on the June 8 ballot.

Day of Action for students and teachers to protest statewide school budget cuts

The Mt. Diablo Education Association is organizating several demonstrations of students, teachers, and staff today  to protest $17 billion in state budget cuts to schools and colleges over the past two years.

These Mt. Diablo Unified efforts are part of March 4 Statewide Day of Action involving demonstrations around the state, including on college campuses such as UC Berkeley. A march and rally will take place in front of San Francisco' City Hall this evening.


These demonstrations are expected to be underway in various places around the state, starting soon.  In the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, students, staff and teachers at Clayton Valley High School were scheduled to begin their demonstration outside the school at 7 a.m. After-school demonstrations will take place at the following locations, according to the Mt. Diablo Education Association blog: Ygnacio Valley Rd and Oak Grove; Treat and Clayton Rd; and Monument and Contra Costa Boulevard.
 
Organizers note that "entire art,  music and PE programs have been eliminated, more than 16,000 educators were laid off, and large California corporations enjoyed tax breaks."

"This year, in the wake of all these cuts, our students and schools are being threatened again. We can’t let that happen."

Just this week, the Mt. Diablo school board is contemplating making $6 million in cuts every year to its $71-million-a-year special education program. Those cuts could mean that the district would eliminate the positions of 37 special education teachers and 65 special education assistants, according to the Mayor of Claycord. It could also mean that teachers in  classrooms would need to be trained to accommodate special education students in their non-special education classrooms.

Mt. Diablo school board OKs $4 million in cuts

The Mt. Diablo Unified School District board of trustees agreed to cut $4 million to the budget Tuesday night, but that leaves many more millions that need to be cut, the Contra Costa Times reports. About the board's Tuesday night, the Times says:

The $4 million in cuts over two years will affect adult education, counseling and other programs. Several school secretaries spoke in support of retaining their positions, which had been recommended for elimination before being taken off a list of cuts voted on earlier this month. However, trustees could vote to eliminate those positions next month. ...


The trustees also unanimously voted to reject a charter school application...

Would you vote yes to new parcel taxes to support local public school districts?

So, once again, the state is in a financial crisis, and the budget numbers don't look good for local governments, including local school districts. Millions of dollars in shortfalls are being reported by school districts that serve Walnut Creek. The board for the Acalanes Union High School District, which includes Las Lomas and Acalanes high schools, has just approved putting another parcel tax measure on the ballot May 4.

Faced with a shortfall of nearly $5 million, the district is seeking a temporary $112-per parcel tax. But, just in November, the district won an extension of its $189-per parcel tax. District officials didn’t ask property owners for more money on the November ballot because they didn’t know how severe cuts would be in the coming year.

With things looking disastrous in Sacramento, the district faces cutting 57 teaching, counseling and staff positions. The temporary parcel tax would go on a May 4 mail-in ballot. Another $800,000, the district hopes, would come from parent club donations.

By the way, parcel taxes need two-thirds voter approval to pass, not just a simple majority. Many parents in this district, which has some of the Bay Area's top-ranked schools, are well off, and the high school and elementary school districts enjoy a long history of community fundraising and parent support.

If you would be affected by this parcel tax election, how would you vote? If you live in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, would you support a parcel tax to help that district dig its way out of the financial hole it is in? Last spring, the majority of voters in the Mt. Diablo district said yes to a parcel tax, but the measure failed to get a third-thirds approval.

As for the Walnut Creek School District, it already has an $82-per-parcel tax, which voters approved to extend in November. That tax will bring in about $1.2 million annually. However, this district faces a $1 million shortfall. To get input from teachers, parents, and the rest of the community, it has been holding a series of "Budget 101" meetings. Some meetings have already been held, but here are dates for future ones: 

--Tuesday, March 16, 7 p.m. Murwood Elementary
--Wednesday, March 17, 7 p.m. Walnut Creek Intermediate
--Thursday, April 1, Walnut Heights Elementary

Does class size matter?

It's been all over the news: how another budget crisis in Sacramento means another spring of budget crises for local public school districts, a desperate situation that could lead to the layoffs of many more teachers and the increase in class sizes in all grades.

For this school year, Mt. Diablo Unified, one of the hardest hit in the Bay Area, already eliminated class size reduction in grades K-3. That is, it raised the number of students per class from 20 to 30.  K-3 class size reduction was introduced in California back in 1996, and districts were given incentives when they managed to keep class sizes in grades K-3 at 20. This also applied to some core 9th grade classes, such as math and English.

For this school year, Walnut Creek also raised K-3 class sizes from 20 to 25.

A lot of us parents like the idea of small class sizes because we believe our kids will potentially get more one-on-one time with their teachers. I'm sure teachers like it, too. Many education experts agree that students, over time, do better, academically and behaviorally in smaller class sizes.

"I am heartsick that some California school districts are backing away from class size reduction, a reform that is being whittled away in this terrible budget climate," wrote Delaine Eastin, who was state superintendent of schools when class size reduction was implemented. She was sharing her views in a City Brights blog on SFGate.com. "The decision to undermine class size reduction, to lower the number of days in the school year, to lay off teachers, counselors, nurses, crossing guards, to close schools, to reduce preschool, to reduce honors classes and even to raise fees at our colleges and universities is a shame and a disgrace."
Some experts, however, think that, ultimately, what counts is good teachers. A bad teacher won't do any better with 30 students than she will with 20. These experts say that California's class size reduction experiment cost the state billions of dollars that could have been better spent on improving teacher quality and other reforms that would have made our schools the models of excellence that they once were.
 
What do you think? What has been your child's experience in a small class, or in a large class. Are you scared about what's going on right now with the disaster that is public education financing?

It sucks for local school districts: Walnut Creek, Acalanes, Mt. Diablo dealing with layoffs, rising class sizes and closure of well-regarded alternative high school

Sorry, if some people find it offensive of me to use the word "sucks," but right now, I can't think of another term that applies to the scary financial situation, in our tough economic times, facing local school districts. 

--Walnut Creek School District is looking at a $1.6 million shortfall in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 budgets. The district has already raised class sizes in K-3 from 20 students per class to 25, cut custodial and other staff and administrative positions. "Unfortunately, to stay afloat in our multi-year budget projections, we will need to cut the Walnut Creek School District budget by another $800,000 to $1 million for next year," says Superintendent Patty Wool. "We will again use our three-prong process of meeting with staff, parents, and management. Then the Budget Review Committee will decide on a final cut list."

--The Mt. Diablo Unified School District: The district has already approved $3 million in cuts, but put off a decision on whether to eliminate the jobs of 23 school secretaries. The district must look at cutting millions more at its February 9 board meeting. According to the Mount Diablo Education Association, the total is at least $30 million. The district already made the decision last year to raise K-3 class sizes this school year from 20 students per class to 30.

According to a post earlier this month on the MDEA Teachers Forum blog: "I couldn't believe what I was hearing at last night's School Board meeting. The $17 million in cuts was horrifying enough. We (teachers and parents) were up in arms about the proposed class size minimum of 28 students, believing that it would kill some AP and Honors classes at some sites. We (parents) were distressed that we would not be able to pay to have our child bused to school. Librarians, music, special education, textbook adoption, custodial services, and the list goes on and on. All of these proposed budget reductions were proposed to meet a $17 million deficit by the 2011-2012 school year. And then there was the news that $17 million was not enough. Actually, the number was more like $35.5 million."


--Acalanes Union High School District: "The Governor's current budget proposal creates a $4.8 million revenue shortfall for the district in 2010-2011," says the staff report for the district's Wednesday night meeting. That means the district is looking at laying of 58 teachers, counselors, librarians, as well as the principal for the alternative high school, Del Oro. That's because the district is also looking at closing Del Oro at the end of this school year.

"Unfortunately due to its small enrollment and standard maintenance requirements, Del Oro High School is costly to operate. Staff conservatively views this site as requiring a minimum of $650,000 to operate annually. Six full-time equivalent positions would be eliminated from service with this proposed action. Del Oro High School has provided a valuable educational option to AUHSD students. Its recognition as a Model Continuation High School exemplifies the successes of students and staff. Due to a drastic need to reduce district expenses, unpleasant alternatives must be considered and acted upon."

Back to what the writer posted on the Mt. Diablo Education Association blog: "Bottom line is that people are scared. People are overwhelmed. ... Given all the added stress resulting from last year's cuts and the uncertainty of the future, we need to be one another's strongest support."

Saturday's big blow-out Music-A-Thon to save music in the Mt. Diablo schools

Faced with last year's horrific budget crisis, and the failure of a parcel tax to pass, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District had to eliminate the 4th grade instrumental music program this school year. The budget situation from Sacramento doesn't look much better for the coming school year, and parents, teachers, and administrators worry that 5th instrumental music might be another program that will have to go.

Teachers tell me that if the kids don't start playing instruments in the fourth and fifth grades, the middle and high school programs will eventualy be decimated.

Besides that, say leaders of the Mount Diablo Music Education Foundation, "it has been shown that students who become involved in music education become better students, attend school more regularly than other students, score higher on state standardized tests than other students, and stay engaged in school.

"Music programs enrich the students’ education and help students develop for adulthood. In turn, these programs and students support the arts and music and thereby enrich the community. While the area high schools in the district support a wide range of music programs, including orchestras, choral, jazz ensembles, and band, the elimination of elementary music will start to erode the quality of the secondary music program. Without elementary music programs, fewer students will take up music."

With all that in mind, and passionate about saving these vital early programs for kids in the district, the foundation is hosting a 12-hour Music-A-Thon Saturday that features performances by music students from the various elementary, middle, and high schools, the students showcasing different styles of music and vocals.

Participating schools so far include Clayton Valley High School, Concord High School, Northgate High, El Dorado Middle, Foothill Middle, Pine Hollow Middle, Pleasant Hill Middle, as well as elementary students from Ayers, El Monte, Highlands, Holbrook, Monte Gardens, Westwood, and Woodside. More schools are expected to be announced soon.

The music will start at 10 am at the Multi-Use Room at Concord High School, 4200 Concord Blvd. in Concord, and go until 10 pm.


The Mount Diablo Music Education Foundation will be holding various fundraisers to raise money to save music in our elementary schools, as well as soliciting donations.

Mt Diablo schools struggle in various ways to deal with next round of likely budget cuts

Tonight, the Mt. Diablo School Board will meet to discuss, on several fronts, what are likely to be the next round of severe budget cuts. According to the Mt. Diablo Blog, the word from the state is that that the budget shortfall is expected to be $20.7 billion over the next 18 months.

On December 8th we will begin the process of looking at reductions and we need our community to weigh in. On December 14th there will be a community meeting to discuss action plans on how we are going to move forward as a community to protect services that we provide to our students. A link to the information for that meeting is contained here.

At the same time, the board is expected to vote tonight on extending the teacher contracts for the next three years, which will save teachers from salary cuts but also freeze any salary increases. A parent posted a commentary voicing concern about keeping the contract in place on the MDUSD parents blog:

Is that fair? I don't think so. In the same meeting they will be discussing more cuts that will impact the students, and then will vote to keep status quo for the teachers?

Parents and other community members are rallying to find ways to raise money to protect programs. As Claycord.com reported the Mount Diablo Education Foundation will hold a 24-hour Music-A-Thon early next year to save elementary school music. The fourth grade music program was cut in last year’s cuts, and now the fifth-grade program is at risk. Elementary, middle, and high school bands will perform for 24 hours over the weekend of January 16 and 17 at Concord High School to raise money for these programs.

Finally, if you’re interested in working on a new effort to pass another parcel tax, you can attend another meeting on Monday, December 14 to hear the results of a recent community polling effort as well as learn how you can help.

As you may remember, in the spring, the district attempted to pass a $99 per parcel tax that would have greatly reduced the necessity to further cut education spending. The measure received 59 percent approval from voters—a majority, yes—but not the two-thirds majority necessary for passage.

Mt. Diablo Unified gets new superintendent

The Mayor of Claycord is reporting that the Mt. Diablo Unified school board voted 5-0 Friday night to hire Sacramento-area schools chief Steven Lawrence to become their superintendent.

Lawrence is superintendent of the much smaller Washington Unified School District district in West Sacramento. He comes from an ethnically diverse K-12 district of 7,000 students, which he headed for about three years and guided through several challenges, including the closing of a middle school and the opening of a new high school.

The Mt. Diablo school district is also ethnically diverse, but has 35,000 students and a long list of challenges, including budget crises that were not helped by drastic state cuts over the past couple years.

Lawrence will replace Interim Superintendent Dick Nicoll, who is set to retire January 31. Former Superintendent Gary McHenry resigned in September, after the board put him on administrative leave in February.

Lawrence will have an annual salary of $249,500 and his contract ends on June 30, 2013.