Your school board candidates

Thursday, October 27, 2011 12:33 PM PDT

School board candidates are Dr. Dianna Chooljian, from left, Erin LaMonte, and Larry Vanden Bos.

Residents living within the boundaries of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District will choose two new Board of Education members on Nov. 8. Three candidates, one of which is an incumbent, have actively hit the neighborhoods seeking support. The News had four questions for each of the candidates; below are their responses.

Dr. Dianna Chooljian
Occupation: Physician

The News: Of all the entities on the Peninsula, the school district has the largest budget and is the most dependent on the state for its funding. The state’s finances are a mess. How will you lead the district through these tough economic times and are you prepared to make tough decisions?

Chooljian: I will lead the district through these tough economic times with “new energy and a new vision.” I will look for means to increase revenues in our district through grant proposals, corporate alliances and bridging better communication with our residents. In addition to increasing our revenue, I will look with a “critical eye” at each budget line item to assure that every dollar is being spent wisely. Funds should be prioritized for our children and teachers in the classroom. I believe we need to work better together, especially in these difficult economic times. I will look for ways to consolidate our resources at every district level from preschool through high school to prepare our children for a more competitive and global world.

As a physician, I have made tough and difficult decisions my entire career in making important diagnoses. As a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel in charge of department budgets and well versed in organizational dynamics and hierarchies, I have made challenging choices that had far-reaching consequences. As a medical educator of medical interns, residents and fellows, I have made selective decisions \[regarding\] health-care education and the delivery of health care. In summary, I am very comfortable and well versed in making difficult decisions and prioritizing those decisions.

The News: Each of the candidates has gone on record “wholeheartedly” supporting Measure M. The loss of the parcel tax would be terrible, but is the talk about potentially closing a school if it fails an exaggeration? Is local funding that important to the school district?

Chooljian: Local funding is absolutely critical in our school district due to PVPUSD being a “low-wealth” district based on the 1970s court case of Serrano vs. Priest, which decided the average base revenue limit of our district at $5,778.95. Our school district’s budget is comprised of approximately 80 percent from state revenues, 6 percent from federal revenues, and 14 percent from local revenue. Our state has already withheld approximately $25 million in the last few years and adopted a continued “flat line budgeting” approach that make our dependence on our local revenues even more critical. We need Measure M to pass to provide $7.2 million directly to the students in our community. We are fortunate that we have the PEF, which has pledged another $2.7 million to our schools this year. These local efforts to finance our schools are imperative to strengthening our children’s education and growth especially in times of our state’s economic crisis.

All budget line items need to be examined. While closure of a school is a possibility in this economic crisis, I would look at alternative means to reduce expenditures in our budget before resorting to such drastic cost-saving measures. For instance, there is a $9.7 million line item in the school budget for “consulting fees and other” that is not transparent to me. What do these costs include? A significant portion of this item is due to attorney’s fees but the amount is unclear. While legal fees are a part of any business, I believe that much of these costs may have been averted and better anticipated with improved proactive communication with the school board and our residential community.

The News: The divisive nature of issues, such as the PVPUSD vs. PVHA, stadium lights and bleachers, has created some rift between the school district and the community. If elected, how do you plan to rebuild relationships and trust?

Chooljian: When elected, I would rebuild relationships and trust with our residential community in several ways:
1) create liaisons with our school board members and respective city leaders in all four cities;
2) hold monthly meetings with these respective members to discuss current issues and better anticipate contentious issues;
3) conduct town hall meetings with residents in the respective cities with parties on both sides of contentious issues before they become a closed session item or are placed on the agenda for an upcoming meeting;
4) conduct more meetings at a time of day that is conducive to increased attendance and participation within our community;
5) have, as much as possible, fewer items discussed in closed session and more in the open session;
6) provide better summaries of the discussions from the closed session items;
7) inform the audience if a closed session is prolonged and an approximate time for the start of the open session;
8) facilitate live televised broadcasts with Cox Cable;
9) make meeting agenda available to residents in ways other than the Internet, i.e., in the local newspaper or a mailed newsletter; and
10) be respectful to our audience members who have come to voice their opinions by placing them earlier on the agenda especially for those who work the following day. This is respectful to the needs and schedules of our residents, administrators, educators and students who have elected us to serve them.
The News: Once elected, what’s your first priority?

Chooljian: Once elected, my first priority will be to scrutinize the budget line by line to eliminate unnecessary waste and prioritize funds to our children and teachers in the classroom. I can bring the energy and vision needed to think creatively, optimize our resources so that every dollar is spent effectively toward our children’s advancement. The school board needs to regain and earn the trust of our residential community. I believe that open discussions regarding scrutinizing our budget, actively seeking grants, collaborating with our corporate community, forming liaisons with our city leaders, and proactively meeting with these city leaders will all bring about the change that is needed on our school board.

Candidate statement
When my husband and I retired from the military, we settled in Palos Verdes because of the excellent schools and education in our district. Our two children attended the schools in our district, were both student representatives to the school board, and now attend Ivy League schools.

I had the opportunity to attend the school board meetings with my children during the past couple of years and observe the board proceedings, discussions and protocols. I learned a great deal from this process and realized that I had much to give back to education and our community of which our family has been the beneficiary.

As a former military physician currently in private practice, I have been a student and educator my entire career. I have always made education a top priority and have been active in PTSA in several premier school districts in our nation.

My top three goals include: 1) ensuring strong fiscal management and accountability in a challenging fiscal environment by scrutinizing each budget line item and eliminating unnecessary waste; 2) strengthening our educational excellence and best practices at all district levels; and 3) bridging better proactive communication and relations with our student and residential community.

When elected, I pledge to serve you as an independent advocate for educational excellence and improved communication with all of our residents.
www.DrDianna4PVPSchools.com

Erin LaMonte
Occupation: Assistant to high school principal

The News: Of all the entities on the Peninsula, the school district has the largest budget and is the most dependent on the state for its funding. The state’s finances are a mess. How will you lead the district through these tough economic times and are you prepared to make tough decisions?

LaMonte: Our public school system is a victim of the state of California’s budget disaster. Eighty-five percent of our budget comes directly from the state and approximately 87 percent of the district’s budget goes to employee costs. Electing individuals who have the understanding and background to enable them to make financial and budgetary decisions is the most important factor to consider when marking your ballot. My business degree and professional experience, coupled with my knowledge of the school district operations, make me extremely qualified to lead the district. For the last eight years I have represented you, the taxpayer, on the Citizen’s Oversight Committee assuring proper expenditures of our locally raised monies for our school system. As current president of a local homeowner association and past president of multiple organizations, I know how to lead with strength, civility and effectiveness. Experience in business and the school environment is what is needed on our local Board of Education.

The News: Each of the candidates has gone on record “wholeheartedly” supporting Measure M. The loss of the parcel tax would be terrible, but is the talk about potentially closing a school if it fails an exaggeration? Is local funding that important to the school district?

LaMonte: There has been no talk of “closing a school” as far as I have heard. Student enrollment determines how many classrooms and desks are needed and we are currently overall flat with a small decline in several elementary level grades. Under normal circumstances, decisions regarding school opening or closing would be based solely on enrollment. However, in these trying economic times, and especially if Measure M does not pass, all options for cutting costs must be on the table.
I support the decision that the residents of this community should be able to vote to better control decisions on a local basis. The school children of Palos Verdes are at the financial whim of the state and by allowing the educated and informed voters of the Peninsula to determine local funding through vehicles such as the parcel tax, through which all of the monies remain in our district, we maintain the reputation and standing of our school district. I believe voters should have the right to make this decision, especially since the high quality of our schools keeps property values high. Approximately 15 percent of the district’s budget comes from local funding, which includes donations to PEF, donations to local schools and the Measure P and V funds. Having served on the oversight committee, I can tell you with absolute certainty that these local funds help maintain programs such as our engineering, technology and college prep courses, which differentiate our students when they compete for college acceptances.

The News: The divisive nature of issues, such as the PVPUSD vs. PVHA, stadium lights and bleachers, has created some rift between the school district and the community. If elected, how do you plan to rebuild relationships and trust?

LaMonte: There have been a handful of issues that have garnered the headlines in the local newspapers this past year. Living in a closely knit, caring community such as ours, no one likes to experience divisive issues. The truth is that because we are a dedicated and committed community, we can and do experience differences of opinions. As an elected Board of Education member, the process that we follow to engage, inform and involve our stakeholders would be of utmost importance to me. I have experience as a volunteer leading the PVP Council of PTAs, as a member of the Citizen’s Oversight Committee, as an employee and as a community volunteer working with all stakeholders. While conflicting topics do arise and never will everyone be pleased with all outcomes, community members should continue to express their opinions and must be heard by elected officials. Public meetings on topics of community interest should be held, notice of public meetings should be well publicized, such as via email, and decisions should be clearly explained. Finally, the school district must remember that our schools are part of our local communities and we should always strive to be good neighbors.

The News: Once elected, what’s your first priority?

LaMonte: A large portion of my professional experience consisted of consulting large corporations regarding organizational change. We have remarkable resources in our staff, parents and community. These resources can and should be tapped to help improve an already great school system. Since budgets are tight, let’s use this talent to help implement best education practices throughout the district while creating strategic plans for our facilities and finances.

Candidate statement
I am a product of these schools having graduated in the 1970s. Furthermore, my husband, Gary, and I opted to raise our family here. For the last 15 years, I have committed to our schools in leadership roles, as a volunteer, employee and parent. From serving on the Oversight Committee, serving as PTA president for multiple years and sites, to serving on numerous districtwide committees, my emphasis has been on serving all the children and families throughout the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Asking the public to elect me on Nov. 8 to serve the community by guiding our unified school district is the natural extension of my longtime service to this community. This background, coupled with my business and financial experience, qualifies me uniquely for this position. My knowledge of the financial constraints our district faces and my proven leadership skills will be an asset to the board as we face challenging times ahead.
www.ElectErinLaMonte.com

Larry Vanden Bos
Incumbent
Occupation: CEO of a food manufacturing company

The News: Of all the entities on the Peninsula, the school district has the largest budget and is the most dependent on the state for its funding. The state’s finances are a mess. How will you lead the district through these tough economic times and are you prepared to make tough decisions?

Vanden Bos: The current PVPUSD 2011-12 budget assumes $71 million in current state funding. This level is about $7 million less than when I was first elected to the board and it may be decreased by up to a further $3 million in January. During this same period our student population has remained about the same. Nonetheless, we have educated our students at the same high level with lower per pupil funding each year. Despite these challenges, we have been able to maintain a dwindling but still prudent reserve for economic uncertainty, and no educational programs have been eliminated.

Working with all of our stakeholders, PVPUSD has been able to remain solvent through the generosity of the community (“Save Our Teachers,” Measure V and increasing PEF donations), the sacrifice of our staff (increased class sizes, unpaid furlough days, reduced administrative staff), one-time federal jobs monies and the reduction of all possible expenditures (utilities, supplies, et cetera). In addition, we have eliminated many district positions and reorganized district staff. I will continue to work with all of these parties in the most constructive, collaborative way possible to achieve the best possible balance of all of the interests of each group, even when these interests do not always align. With any compromise, however, I will always to keep two guiding principles in mind — that the board is the steward of the community’s money and that the primary job of the district is to educate students.

The News: Each of the candidates has gone on record “wholeheartedly” supporting Measure M. The loss of the parcel tax would be terrible, but is the talk about potentially closing a school if it fails an exaggeration? Is local funding that important to the school district?

Vanden Bos: The PVPUSD 2011-12 budget includes $88 million in total revenue, of which Measures P and V (which Measure M would replace) provide roughly $7 million. As I stated above, the district has been able to maintain a prudent reserve for economic uncertainty and no programs have been eliminated despite continuing decreases in state funding.

This delicate balancing act, however, will evaporate without parcel tax funding. The district’s reserves would be reduced below the legally required minimum in less than one year without significant and ongoing cost reductions. Since employee costs comprise almost 82 percent of the district’s budget, every employee group would have to be slashed in order to generate needed savings.
PVPUSD already has the fourth lowest administrative overhead per student of the 47 unified districts in Los Angeles County, so unless school sites are combined to save costs, the bulk of the cuts would necessarily have to come from the classroom. Class sizes would have to dramatically increase and many of our most enriching programs would have to be eliminated. The district will be fundamentally altered in a way that our community would not recognize.

The News: The divisive nature of issues, such as the PVPUSD vs. PVHA, stadium lights and bleachers, has created some rift between the school district and the community. If re-elected, how do you plan to rebuild relationships and trust?

Vanden Bos: The board, as the policy-making body for the district, must spearhead the effort to achieve better communication with the community in order to avoid and/or better manage issues that affect the community. We should re-examine our own communications policies and goals (keeping in mind the constraints of the Brown Act) and we should examine some of the existing board policies affecting issues such as capital campaigns and school construction projects. We should see what measures that we can take beyond those legally necessary and already in place to better inform our constituents of a pending project or upcoming issue.
As the policy-setting body, we should also encourage active and open communication between the board, the district administration, site administrations and the community. One step we have already taken is the “Superintendent’s Update” sent to every school family. It is impossible for the board to know everything going on within the district and the community at all times, but it is our responsibility to ensure that there is an open and honest dialog within the district, and between the district and the community. This can only be accomplished when the board leads by its own example.

The News: Once re-elected, what’s your first priority?

Vanden Bos: My first priority — and that of the board — has to be to establish a financial framework for the future years. By law, every PVPUSD budget must be balanced, and we must submit a budget to the L.A. County Office of Education for two years into the future. State funding wreaks havoc on those plans, even during the current academic year. My colleagues have told me they look to me for guidance on those fiscal matters, and I hope to continue to bring my business and finance background to these very tough economic and budgetary issues. Beyond that, I plan to continue to explore ways to leverage taxpayer funds in our ongoing facilities construction program. I also plan to re-evaluate our policies that impact relations with our community and other stakeholders, to ensure that all viewpoints are heard and respected before a decision is made.

Candidate statement
I grew up on the Peninsula. In fact, I live in the house in which I was raised. My three children graduated from PVPUSD, as did I. My education prepared me for the life I lead, and I feel privileged to be able to give back by serving on the school board. I have had impact already, I believe, on improving relations among the board and district, and on ongoing district projects. For example, I helped leverage existing bond funding for construction from Measures R and S into more classrooms than originally planned at both large high schools. We are fortunate to have such a great school system, and two great comprehensive high schools that offer students the same quality education. Our district, and our community, is best served when we all work together toward the goal of providing our children the best education we can to prepare them for life beyond high school. With the voters’ approval, I hope to continue to serve that goal.
www.larryvandenbosforschoolboard2011.com