Changes to ROP might cost jobs but not classes
A shake-up in an occupational program that serves the Laguna Beach Unified School District could cost some employees their jobs, though teachers and course offerings should not be affected, officials said last week.
The South Coast Regional Occupational Program program, a partnership between Capistrano and Laguna Beach unified school districts dating to 1970, faces a change in state funding, said program Supt. Kim Thomason at its board meeting Thursday.
Because of that, restructuring is needed in the management ranks, though details are still being worked out, Capistrano Unified spokesman David Cordero wrote in an email.
Under California’s newly adopted Local Control Funding Formula, districts that rely on the state for a majority of their money — like Capistrano Unified — no longer have funds specifically dedicated to ROP. And it is unclear if the overall dollar amount will be reduced.
Districts can use their money as they see fit, and Capistrano has indicated a desire to add more counselors and academic advisers to its regular school program, in essence reducing what is available for ROP.
Laguna Unified, on the other hand, receives most of its funding from property tax revenue, so the new funding formula does not apply. Laguna Beach, with one high school, is spending $139,000 this year on ROP.
The new state law requires that Laguna and Capistrano amend their joint powers agreement by June 30. Both districts must ratify the amended agreement before it returns to the ROP board for final approval.
The program provides career-oriented technical courses to adults and students 16 years and older. The offerings include audio and music production, forensic science, sports medicine and automotive repair.
Of Laguna Beach High School’s more than 1,100 students, 280 are enrolled in ROP courses this semester, said Dawn Hunnicutt, Laguna’s career guidance specialist.
About 80 of those students travel to Capistrano Unified campuses for courses such as automotive repair, which Hunnicutt said is one of the more popular classes.
“There is no way we could ever have auto shop here due to space,” she said. Laguna added two courses this semester, computer programming and engineering technology.
Capistrano Unified, which has six high schools offering ROP classes, is spending $2.9 million on the program and has 2,100 students enrolled.
The ROP board Thursday also agreed, at the urging of Laguna Beach Unified board President Ketta Brown, to require a six-month notice if either district wants to back out of the program, to protect students who may have registered for the upcoming semester.
Brown said Laguna is in a more vulnerable position than Capistrano. “The reality is you have [an agreement] ready to go with Saddleback College that you can join,” she said. “You don’t need us.”
A little more than 400 Capistrano Unified students take ROP courses at the community college each semester, said Capistrano’s Assistant Supt. of Secondary Education Michelle Le Patner.
Capistrano Unified trustee Amy Hanacek tried to quell rumors that the ROP program was dissolving as well as claims that Capistrano had its own agenda and didn’t need Laguna Beach.
“There’s no reason on God’s earth why we would jeopardize everything by doing this,” Hanacek said of the restructuring, adding that the agreement is a benefit to Capistrano too. “We have to professionally trust each other.”
In other news Thursday, the board discussed expanding the ROP governing board from the current four members to nine. The board, currently composed of two trustees from each district, tentatively agreed to expand by adding the remaining five Capistrano Unified trustees.