From Benign Neglect to State and National Attention

By Manuel G. Nunez

During my first and second terms of office the district was having to struggle through deficit financing, outdated accounting procedures, overcrowding and inadequate facilities.

We had a less than adequate budget of over $200 million and our accounting was not set up to handle it. We now have an excellent system in place for a budget of $500 million plus.

Our administrative level was too high and we now have our numbers below the recommended State ratio.

Our Job Orders for necessary repairs were behind schedule so that many of our schools were not in disrepair. This was taken care with maintenance reorganization and the passage of the Bond Measure in 1995. The repair and modernization of existing facilities, plus the building of new schools has had a great impact on our Fresno unified.

Inadequate State funding caused us to have strained employee labor relations which we were able to work through without layoffs or cutbacks.

Better teachers were hired with a shift to hiring in January rather that waiting until July. We also have been collaborating with Fresno State and Fresno Pacific for more effective teacher preparation and professional development. The awards in excess of $20 million from the National Science Foundation have helped us to improve the quality of teaching science and math has improved our progress at all grade levels. This will continue for the next five years with an additional $5 million grant.

Class Size Reduction in grades K-3 are beginning to have a positive impact on our students and teachers.

I have lobbied at the State and Federal levels for more adequate funding for our schools and I am gratefull for the attention public education is getting now and we have to take advantage of this situation now and in the future.

These are but few examples of where we have made improvements in our school district, not to mention Special Education, Alternative Education and Adult Education.