ABC School Board Rings In the 2012 With New Golden Bell Awards

The ABC School Board rang in the new year last Tuesday with a pair of shiny new Golden Bell Awards. With newly-elected board member Lynda Johnson present for her first official meeting of 2012 and current boardmembers elected to different positions, the board was one short as Superintendent Gary Smuts was absent due to the passing of his mother. Deputy Superintendent, Dr. Mary Sieu served in his place.

Golden Bell Awards

Like last year, the ABC School Board, including members of staff, each rang one of the 11 Golden Bell Awards, an actual golden bell awarded to programs in school districts and county offices of education throughout California. In 2011, the Carver Elementary School's Enrichment Cluster Program and Carmenita Middle School's Distinguished Scholars Program earned the district two more Golden Bell Awards.

Irving Moskowitz Foundation

The Irving Moskowitz Foundation, a charitable, non-profit organization gave $100,000 to Hawaiian Elementary School. Representing the Irving Moskowitz Foundation, Fal Flores said he visited Hawaiian Elementary School – after Sieu delivered a proposal to the organization - and noticed the equipment the students were using, such as computers, were very outdated.

“I saw the stuff that they had there,” Flores said. “It was the stuff I was using in the 60s. Knowing the doctor (Dr. Irving Moskowitz, the founder of the organization) and Mrs. Moskowitz, they're all for education.”

Demographic Study on ABC Trustee Elections

The ABC School District hired Lapkoff & Gobalet Demographics Research, Inc. to provide an assessment of the district's at-large election system to ensure compliance with the California Voting Rights Act. According to the Fair Vote website, the California Voting Rights Act grants "standing to groups who are too geographically dispersed to elect their candidate of choice from a single member district." 

In a summary of the assessment issued by Superintendent Gary Smuts, he states that "although the district population is ethnically diverse, the district's election results do not suggest that voting is polarized along ethnic or racial lines."

District Annual Audit Report

Toan Nguyen, the district's chief financial officer, said the district has hired the independent outside audit firm, Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co., LLP to conduct an audit report on the district's finances. According to the firm's representative, Greg Cook, the opinion of the firm is that the financial statements are fairly presented. The board approved the financial report.

The meeting was adjourned in memory of Marie Smuts who passed at the age of 84.

The next meeting will be held on Monday, Jan. 23.