Laguna school board agrees to continue ROP agreement with Capistrano
Laguna Beach will continue partnering with the Capistrano Unified School District on after-school technical education classes while exploring other options.
That was the decision of the Laguna Beach Unified School District trustees on Tuesday as they approved an amended agreement between the two districts that will keep them jointly operating the South Coast Regional Occupational Program.
The program offers career and vocational classes in automotive repair, forensic science, sports medicine and digital media arts. The students must be at least 16.
Officials from both districts met several times in the last two months to work out an agreement after changes in state funding prompted concerns.
Under California’s new funding formula, money will no longer be earmarked for ROP. Districts that rely on the state for a majority of their funds — like Capistrano — are free to use the money as they see fit. Capistrano officials want to hire additional counselors and academic advisers.
The formula does not affect Laguna since the district receives the bulk of its money from property taxes.
Laguna trustees decided Tuesday that either district must give a 90-day notice if it wants to end the agreement, though Laguna board President Ketta Brown wanted at least six months.
The districts’ agreement maintains the same number of courses, but the ROP governing board will expand to nine members. All seven Capistrano Unified trustees and two Laguna Beach trustees will make up the board.
Capistrano Unified has six high schools that offer ROP courses, while Laguna has one.
Capistrano is scheduled to contribute $1.2 million to ROP for the 2015-16 school year — less than the $2.9 million it paid this year. Laguna Beach will pay $138,900 for the program, close to the $139,000 it paid last year, according to a copy of the agreement.
Capistrano officials want to streamline certain office jobs and have said ROP staff layoffs — excluding teachers — are a possibility.
“Is there any way we can have our own ROP?” Laguna board member William Landsiedel said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I have become convinced ROP is becoming more and more important. It used to be associated [only] with auto shop. Now it’s associated with technology, paramedics, dance and coding. I don’t want our kids to get a raw deal.”
Trustee Carol Normandin added that the parents she’s spoken to want more classes at Laguna Beach High.
Capistrano trustees were scheduled to vote on the amended agreement Wednesday. If approved, the ROP board must then ratify the agreement before it becomes effective.