Amador County – The Amador County Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to try to seek class size reduction funding last week, though the funds may not be there, and also discussed reducing its own membership.

The school board last week also heard a presentation on its annual “class size reduction application.” A staff report said that “as a condition for applying and receiving Class Size Reduction Program funds,” the School District trustees must certify statements on the application are true. The application was for funding for kindergarten through third grad class size reduction.

ACUSD Trustee Pat Miller said Friday that the funding for the program is not available for 20 to 1 student to teacher class size ratios, but the annual application was approved, in the event that the funds return to the program.

The application listed 1,176 students in K-3 clases, with one class having 20 students. Another 48 classes had between 21 and 24 students per class.

A public hearing was held Wednesday as part of the school board’s application for a “general waiver to reduce the board membership, from seven members to five members, to be selected by supervisory district.” The hearing was held “to comply with the Voters Rights Act of 2001.”

Miller said the hearing was one of several that must be held in the reduction process. He said the public hearing was opened, no one spoke to address the issue, and the hearing was closed.

The board agreed unanimously in August 2010 to reduce from its current seven members to a five-member board, with each board member elected from and representing one of the five supervisor districts in the county. The board has two vacancies now, as past Trustees Terry Porray, David Dutra and Karl Knobelauch did not seek re-election, and Janelle Redkey moved out of the county.

Trustee Rose Andrew-Oneto was elected in the November 2010 general election to take one of the vacant seats, and Trustee Lynnette Lipp was appointed to take another of the vacancies.

Miller said if the process carries through, including the other public hearings, then the board will become elected by supervisor district. It would take effect in 2014, when his current term expires. He said a division by supervisor district right now would affect the board now, as both he and Lipp are Jackson areas residents in supervisor District 1.

The board now representatives from all districts except District 3. Andrews-Oneto of Ione lives in District 2; Mary Walser of Sutter Creek is in District 4; and President Wally Upper of Plymouth is from District 5.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.