DAVIS SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION MEETING JANUARY 5, 2005

Present: Peg Smith, Paula Badham, Mike Cawley, Tsui Chang, Laurie Rollins, Torsten Christian, Jennifer Elmore, Kathy Vidmar, Gina Daleiden, Barb Engel, Catherine Louie, Marsha Mohtes-Chan, Heidi Loper

1. Meeting was called to order by Peg Smith at 7:32 p.m. Introductions were made. The minutes of the December, 2004 meeting were approved unanimously.
   
   
2. President’s Report--Peg encouraged everyone to go online for the newsletter. The next parent ed. Class will be at 6:30 on February 2 just prior to the next PTA meeting. Michelle Famula will speak on Meaningful Communication with your Student with Regard to Alcohol use and Other Risky Behaviors. PTA has had a successful year. Directories are out thanks to good teamwork. Parent Education is going well. Future topics will go on the website to see where the interest is. The budget is going well. We have increased membership. Survival Guide for Seniors has been reviewed. Listserv is functioning well. We need to staff the board for next year. With declining revenues from state funding in the last school year DJUSD made 1.2 million in budget cuts. This brings the total in budget cuts for the last two year to approximately 2.5 million. The Mace Ranch elementary school was built with local facilities ,bond monies, and matching state facilities bond monies. State budget cuts in education funding for the general fund at DJUSD means that there is less funding for ongoing program and expenses in our district. General fund is not to be used to fund facilities and facilities funding cannot be moved to fund general programs and expenses. The typical expenditure required to open a K-6 school is approximately $450,000. This funding would need to be found within the general budget. The Board of Education has requested staff to look into a variety of funding scenarios that would allow for the opening of Mace Ranch Elementary as a K. K-1 or K-3 school in 2005 or 2006. Discussion of the current budget impacts at DHS and subsequent possible reductions followed.
   
   
3. Student Representative Reports--There was $8,000 profit from the December 11th prom. Everyone worked hard. The money will go for class gifts, senior ball etc. Peg asked for ideas for a project PTA could support.
   
   
4. Treasurer’s Report--Gina Daleiden and Laurie Rollins--With regard to small grants the proposed projects we received from staff are:
   
   Art-enlargers
   Science-2 lab carts
   English-dictionaries, thesauri, heavy duty whole punch, supplemental materials for CA LIT class
   IT-computer & engineering tract, Cisco & NERSC trip
   Health-Large screen TV
   Foreign Language-3 video cameras, tripods, 2 digital cameras
   
   We've funded something for 6 out of 11 curricular departments. A motion was made to approve the small grant projects and was passed unanimously. Gina passed around a proposed Direct Donation Letter which should go out the first week in February. The library funding has gone down from $2.00 per student to $.75. Magazine subscriptions are gone. The book buying budget is down, so the library may be one of our main projects for a donation. Our letter that goes out needs to be specific about what we want. Also, there is a need for outside lunch tables. We will use the library as the main target of donations. A motion was made that the thrust of our February fundraiser be focused toward the needs of the library and was passed unanimously.
   
   
5. Principal's Report--Mike Cawley -There will be an athletic realignment. If the proposal goes through we will be in the Elk Grove area league which includes Nevada Union (football) only and Grant etc. Travel time will be better. On modernization, the "O" building should be done next week and "C" offices by Friday. Humanities will be mid-February. By January 25th classrooms will be done in Performing Arts building. The old gyn has new bleachers. The Girl's locker room is almost done and the boys should be done by mid-February. We are also looking into security cameras for the school.
   
   
6. Counselor's Report-Jennifer Elmore-Counselors are planning for February when they do program planning for the next school year. Students are meeting with counselors to make schedule changes for spring semester. There is a newsletter clarification--the SAT II requirements are for U.C. bound seniors. On January 13th at 7:30 there will be a financial aid workshop for senior students and parents. We’ve also secured a Spanish speaking person who will go out to all Spanish speaking senior parents. Seniors need to keep up their grades, as senior grades determine grant money. Some C.S.U.s are still accepting applications. Sophomore information night is coming up. It should be January 31st.
   
   
7. Vice-Principal's Report-Heidi Loper is busy with procedures and scheduling and the course catalogs are being updated. Also working on room assignments. With regard to C. & I. (Curriculum & Instruction), minutes are needed and Heidi will look into that.
   
   
8. Teacher's Report-none given.
   
   
9. Committee Reports--Tsui reports that the 2008 listserv is up and running.
   
   
10. New Business--We discussed what stand the PTA would take at tomorrow night’s board meeting with regard to the opening of the new elementary school in East Davis. Peg Smith will attend the meeting as our representative. A motion was made that Peg Smith will attend the board meeting to represent Davis High School to protect the integrity of Davis High School's education program in light of budget cuts. The motion was passed unanimously.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:16p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Paula Badham,
PTA Secretary