Rialto Unified Superintendent Target of Death Threats, Racist Fliers.. By Beau Yarbrough

Rialto Unified superintendent target of death threats, racist fliers

Beau Yarbrough, Staff Writer

Posted:   05/31/2013 12:26:09 PM PDT

RIALTO -- Harold Cebrun, the superintendent of Rialto Unified, has been receiving death threats and racist fliers, police officials said.
Capt. Randy DeAnda, spokesman for the Rialto Police Department, said the department is investigating both death threats and racist literature left for Cebrun, who is black, to find.
"During the layoffs, hang-up calls and name-calling come with the territory, since emotions and tensions run high," district spokeswoman Syeda Jafri said. "But after recognizing that these were blatant racist fliers, bigoted words were being printed to describe his specific ethnic origin, the superintendent found it increasingly difficult to brush it off. It is inappropriate, inexcusable and it has become quite obvious that the direction of this action is resulting from pure hate."
Rialto Unified pink-slipped 101 teachers and 124 nonteacher employees in March.
"There are still elements in the community that are back with racial hatred. They're back decades," school board member Joe Martinez said. "Now, it's rearing its ugly head."
The fliers, which started being sent in April, include pictures of gorillas with messages written on them like "you people are trained to run, so run" and "(racial epithet) go home." The literature has been mailed to Cebrun and dropped through an open car window. His car has also been keyed, and a Mexican flag has been mailed to him.
"The board saw what it was, and they're things that are just horrible," Martinez said. "I wouldn't want to say those (things) to anybody. I wouldn't want to hear them."
Although DeAnda would not provide details, he said the department was working on the case, which they're investigating as a hate crime, "very aggressively."
"Hate should have no place at our schools or, quite frankly, in our world," Jafri said. "Hate and bigotry are often actions that are learned behaviors. We recognize it, are deeply disappointed by it and will work with the authorities any way we can to assist with the investigation."
According to Rialto Unified's 2011-12 District Accountability Report Card, the then 26,764 student body was 13.7 percent black, 78.7 percent Hispanic and 4.6 percent white.
"We believe that, in Rialto, everybody's important," school board President Joe Ayala said. "We don't discount people: We give them opportunities. These people who are lashing out, (and) we'd like to tell them there are better ways to communicate."
This isn't the first time racial tensions have reared their head in Rialto Unified:
Earlier this spring, a girls' bathroom at Rialto High School was also covered with graffiti attacking black students, Jafri said. San Bernardino City police investigated the incident. The school is 75 percent Latino, according to the California Department of Education's most recent Academic Performance Index data.
In 2010, self-proclaimed white supremacist Dan Schruender sought a seat on the Rialto Unified school board. He ended up coming in last place, garnering only 9.64 percent of the vote, with voters instead choosing a black woman and Hispanic man.
"In education, we constantly deal with gray matter," Martinez said. "That's the color that we work with; it's not any other color."
Staff writer Doug Saunders contributed to this story.

Rialto to be REPAID before its Rate payers (Daily Bulletin March 10, 2008)

BS Ranch Perspective

 

Wow, this is great news for those that were charged through the water Crisis, that the Perchlorate Contamination had put us through!! It is one thing when the mistake was make to fight it the way that it was, Owen was completely wrong, and I don't know why the City Council gave this guy so much of a leash to do these kinds of careless law suits, to benefit his pockets and not the city!!

 

BS Ranch

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Rialto to be repaid before its ratepayers

Jason Pesick, Staff Writer

Article Created: 03/10/2008 10:14:27 PM PDT

RIALTO - The good news for customers of Rialto's water system is that the city has started settling its expensive legal battles against suspected water polluters.

The bad news is that, although customers have been paying for the team of lawyers and consultants through a surcharge on their water bills, no quick reimbursement is in sight.

Rialto has spent at least $20 million treating and investigating perchlorate and other chemicals polluting the groundwater, as well as fighting the suspected polluters in court.

But policies enacted by the City Council since 2004 indicate that the city and its water department, which serves about half the city, get repaid after legal settlements and judgements before the customers.

"I think it's a fair discussion to reconsider that," said City Councilwoman Winnie Hanson, a member of the council's perchlorate subcommittee.

The first settlement in the perchlorate matter is being finalized with San Bernardino County and calls for the county to clean up part of the contamination and pay the city $4 million.

The surcharge customers pay starts at $6.85 per bill and increases with consumption.

Longtime resident Mary Moton said the perchlorate charge on her last monthly water bill of $69.44 was $9.27.

"I think we should get all our money back. That's fair," she said.

When the council established the surcharge in 2004, it passed a policy that states the first priority is

repaying the water department, plus an extra $1.5 million for the department's reserves.

That repayment includes $5 million to City Council transferred from the General Fund reserves to the water department in November 2006 to pursue polluters.

After the city receives from polluters an amount equal to half the surcharges collected, ratepayers will be able to be reimbursed.

In recent months, Councilman Ed Scott, the other member of the perchlorate subcommittee, has said the ratepayers should be reimbursed before the water and general funds.

"That's my preference," he said.

Hanson said the council will probably have to examine the issue. She said members meeting in closed session would decide whether they want to vote on the issue in open session.

Hanson said she hasn't come down on one side of the issue yet. Her determination will include a number of factors, including the fiscal health of various city accounts.

Some residents don't seem to be conflicted.

"I think that the citizens should be paid back first. They didn't waste any time in taking the money out," Rialto resident and water customer Toby Polinger said of the city.

"It seems like the city puts these kinds of things together frequently that the Rialto citizens are often considered last," he said.

jason.pesick@sbsun.com

(909) 386-3861

Rialto Unified doesn't vote on cuts to support staff (Press Enterprise 03172008)

BS Ranch Perspective

I am glad to hear that there are human people out there, that are great people out there that care enough to want them to stay and work hard!!

BS Ranch

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Rialto Unified doesn't vote on cuts to support staff

		Download story podcast

11:55 PM PDT on Wednesday, March 12, 2008

By MELANIE C. JOHNSON
The Press-Enterprise

RIALTO - After hearing pleas from union officials, the Rialto Unified School District's Board of Education decided not to vote to eliminate 67 nonteaching posts, such as clerk typists, nutrition service workers and instructional technology assistants.

The board on Wednesday night also decided not to vote to reduce the days worked by five next year of 31 other positions, including supervisors and directors in maintenance, registration and fiscal services.

Bob McDaniel, president of the Rialto chapter of the California School Employees Association, urged the district to delay laying off the support workers.

"Who will take the place of the instructional technology assistants?" he asked. "You may find out that many of these positions are not expendable."

The district is facing a $21 million budget deficit next year based on declining enrollment and the governor's proposal to gut education spending next year by $4.4 billion. The state faces a $16 billion shortfall next year.

Layoffs for nonteaching support staff follow the district's decision last month to issue preliminary layoff notices to 305 teachers, counselors and school psychologists. Officials from the teachers union say the number has swelled to more than 400 with the 100 substitute teachers who won't be asked back next year and 28 other probationary teachers cut.

The district is required by law to issue layoff notices by Saturday to teachers. For nonteaching positions, they have to give a 45-day notice.

The pink slips issued to teachers made for an emotional meeting with several parents and teachers. Others criticized the officials for eliminating class-size reduction.

"Getting this pink slip ... today was a slap in my face," teacher Nora Emanuel said. "If you do this class-size reduction, you're going to turn us into mediocre teachers."

Several of the board members said they were open to having additional budget workshops with the community.

Superintendent Edna Davis-Herring said she shares the pain of the employees whose jobs may be in jeopardy.

Rialto Unified Faces a $21 Million Shortfall!! (Daily Bulletin 03132008)

BS Ranch Perspective

What is going on here, are we in another recession or are we getting ready to pull into a full on depression? It is getting nervous listening to the Business news on television and Talk Radio, they are all doom and gloom and money is flowing down down down, espeiclly the U.S. Dollar! The Euro. is up, and we are heading to lower interest rates, lower banking fees and higher Gold Prices that will send us thorugh the door.

it is just to scary thinking that we are in a recession that is so deep and our only way out I am afraid that when Obama takes the Presidency will say that we will close our doors on our Defense, and we will do without, what will happen then, Slave one to Slave two over...

BS Ranch

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District planning teacher cuts

Rialto Unified faces $21 million shortfall

Jason Pesick, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 03/13/2008 10:02:52 PM PDT

RIALTO - Faced with state and federal budget cuts of $21million and declining enrollment, the school district announced plans to fire 9 percent of its teachers and counselors, but primarily teachers.

An additional 19percent could be gone by the beginning of the next school year.

The proposed tally includes an additional 271 possible layoffs, plus roughly 100 probationary teachers with one-year contracts who won't get asked to return to the classroom in the fall.

About 30 additional teachers without full credentials also could get the ax.

Concerned about the impact of layoffs on the Rialto Unified School District, parents, teachers and other district employees came to the school board's Wednesday night meeting to plea for teachers' jobs.

"Thank you for training me. Now maybe some other district will have me," said Nora Manuel, a kindergarten teacher who was one of 271 teachers and counselors to receive a notice from the school district that they might be laid off before the next school year.

The district has about 1,450 teachers, counselors, nurses and speech therapists.

One result of the cuts could be class sizes in kindergarten through third grade would jump from 20 to 32 students.

The school board delayed a vote on whether to lay off 63 cafeteria workers, secretaries, teacher aides and other support staff.

"I'm happy. It gives us time to come up with something - a plan," said Bob McDaniel,

president of the Rialto Classified School Employees Association.

During the public comment period of the meeting, the board seemed to be under attack from teachers and parents.

Some teachers said administrators have been opposed to the 20-to-1 student-teacher ratio and have been using proposed state budget cuts as an excuse to eliminate it.

"You do not like 20 to 1, and I have known that for five years," said Penny Robinson, a third-grade teacher.

"I am tired of the way these teachers are treated," she said.

Throughout the meeting, board President Dan Mays said he supports small class sizes but the budget crisis limited the district's options.

"At this point, we're running out of options," he said.

Cheryl Brown, publisher of The Black Voice News, suggested the board hold a workshop with the community.

"So it's not something that is insurmountable, and it just seems it is a situation that could be worked out," she said.

After an initially prickly board reception to the idea of holding a workshop, board member Joanne Gilbert eventually convinced her colleagues that holding a workshop would be wise.

No date has been set yet.

Officials in surrounding districts hope they won't have to lay off any teachers.

The San Bernardino City Unified School District sent possible lay-off notices to 155 teachers and counselors out of 3,503 total.

"We're thinking that it's unlikely that we'll have to go ahead with those cuts," said spokeswoman Linda Bardere.

Officials in the Fontana and Redlands Unified school district are not planning to lay off teachers.

jason.pesick@sbsun.com

(909) 386-3861.

Rialto School Board Warns 300 Teachers Layoffs Possible (SB Sun/via Associated Press Feb. 14, 2008)

BS Ranch Perspective

Well it looks like all the money that has been made, is taken in and is supposed to go to the California Schools from the State Lottery is not doing any good, or it just isn't making it to the Schools Budget!! Being a little skeptical of Political Budgets and how they work, I venture to say that the money from the California State Lottery is not making it to the California Schools and it is terrible to know that it isn't even making a dent!! What is funny is that nobody questions why, the Lottery takes in Millions each day, and a percentage of that goes to the State Schools and well I venture to say that it isn't going there it is going to the very large budget to protect the Super Star Governor & his moderately Royal Wife and Kids Security Detail!!

So Purchase those Tickets to pay for this security Detail After all his plan to get the State on board is to demolish a self Sufficient Retirement plan paid for by the Employee's that work for the State of California, and Law Enforcement that pay into the System, Arnold wants to just take the more then 1 Billion that has been saved up that he cannot touch and put it in the States General Fund and save the day, but That money is paid for by the Employee's for their Retirement and medical programs!!

BS Ranch!!

Rialto school board warns 300 teachers layoffs possible

The Associated Press

Article Launched: 02/14/2008 08:36:31 AM PST

RIALTO, Calif.—The Rialto Unified School District is warning 300 teachers and counselors they might not have a job in the next school year because of budget woes.

The school board voted 3-1 late Wednesday to send notices that the jobs could be eliminated starting in July. Teachers must be notified of layoffs by March 15.

The district is facing a midyear cut in funding, and school officials also expect to lose $8.5 million in the coming fiscal year if the Legislature approves Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget.

Schwarzenegger has proposed cutting $4.4 billion out of education in next year's budget and $400 million in this year's budget.

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Information from: The Sun, http://www.sbsun.com