Open Letter to CUSD Superintendent Vital, District Staff and Board of Trustees

Dear Superintendent Vital-

There are 4 new contracts on the upcoming September 28, 2016 BOT meeting agenda that I would like to express my concerns about.

Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP The contract amount is $15,000.00

Daniel J. Edelman Incorporated The contract amount is $24,000.00.

Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo The contract amount is $500,000.00

Album Agency dba Album Creative Studios Incorporated The contract amount is $24,900.00 (Stated Estimated Amount is $55,600.00).

Total Amount: $563,900.00 to $594,600

They are highlighted below and can be found at the following link:
http://capousd-ca.schoolloop.com/file/1218998819331/1455438848279/9111586113321678304.pdf at page 67.






1: LEGAL SERVICES - FAIR POLITICAL PRACTICES COMMISSION MATTERS

OLSON HAGEL & FISHBURN LLP
The contract amount is $15,000.00

The contract can be found at the following link:
http://capousd-ca.schoolloop.com/file/1218998819331/1455438848279/9111586113321678304.pdf Exhibit #4 - no page numbers so you need to scroll to find it.

Letter to District Attorney:
http://disclosurecusd.blogspot.com/2016/08/august-28-2016-letter-to-da-tony.html
Fair Political Practices Complaint:
http://disclosurecusd.blogspot.com/2016/09/fair-political-practices-complaint.html

At the September 28, 2016 BOT meeting CUSD is retaining Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP to: "Provide legal services regarding Fair Political Practices Commission matters and related advice.".

2: BOND MARKETING EXPENSES

It is a mis-use of taxpayer funds for a school district to use taxpayer money for the promotion/advocacy for the passage of a School Facilities Bond. Attorney General Kamala Harris Opinion. https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/opinions/pdfs/13-304_0.pdf

Daniel J. Edelman Incorporated
The contract amount is $24,000.00.

CUSD is hiring a new public relations firm to "provide community engagement and strategic communication services". The contract term is 9-1-16 to 12-31-16. The contract is coming up for Board approval on 9-28-16 (16 days after the start date of the contract).

The contract can be found at the following link:
http://capousd-ca.schoolloop.com/file/1218998819331/1455438848279/9111586113321678304.pdf Exhibit #4 - no page numbers so you need to scroll to find it.

Taxpayers have a right to know if any work has already been done under this contract and if the scope of work constitutes a mis-use of taxpayer money.





















3: ATKINSON, ANDELSON, LOYA, RUUD & ROMO
The contract amount is $500,000 for Attorneys Fees

CUSD has retained Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo for legal services. The term of this contract is July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017. The effective date of this agreement is stated to be September 29, 2016.

CUSD has already issued PO's to this firm totally prior to Board approval totaling $475,000.00.
http://capousd-ca.schoolloop.com/file/1218998819331/1455438848279/9111586113321678304.pdf
at page 7 of 299.




4: CUSD RE-IMAGINED SCHOOLS BRANDING PROPOSAL

Album Agency dba Album Creative Studios Incorporated
The contract amount is $24,900.00 (Stated Estimated Amount is $55,600.00).

CUSD is hiring Album Agency dba Album Creative Studios Incorporated to "Provide various communications and marketing services, including Re-Imagined Schools, strategic sessions on campus, reviewing existing profiles, designing a bi-fold brochure improving existing School Loop websites and optional ongoing design for promotional materials".

The contract term is 7-1-16 to 6-30-2017. The effective date is August 18, 2016. The contract is coming up for Board approval on 9-28-16 (40 days after the start date of the contract).

Background:

On April 27, 2016 Principals from seven CUSD elementary schools made a presentation to the Board for a three year blue print to "re-image" their schools. As part of "Moving Capo Forward", these schools are going through an educational makeover designed to attract students to schools with declining enrollment and prevent the District from having to close schools by providing each school with a new educational focus.

The seven schools are:

• Del Obispo - College and Career Readiness/AVID
• Hidden Hills - Technology
• Kinoshita - College and Career Readiness/AVID
• Lobo Elementary - STEAM
• Marblehead - Environmental Studies
• R.H. Dana - Science and Technology
• Wood Canyon - Arts and Media

The presentation is Exhibit 19 on page 323

Board Audio at 1:14:19 http://cusd.capousd.org/cusdweb/audio2015-16.html at 1:09:54 Trustee John Alpay makes the comment that this is just "Marketing Gimic" - changing names to "Academy" without changing anything - just a con job. Money can be better spent elsewhere.

On May 11, 2016 the Board was asked to revise district policy regarding renaming the schools and potentially adding the word “academy” came back before the board on May 11. However, trustees determined that a new policy was unnecessary due to the board’s current ability to rename schools. The board voted 6-1 to table the item indefinitely.

The presentation is Exhibit 37 on page 401

Board Audio at 1:14:19 http://cusd.capousd.org/cusdwe... at 2:56:38 at 3:00:00 Trustee Amy Hannacek states that these schools are already re-branding and using these names so we need to come up with a policy that matches that.

at 3:07:00 the Board voted 6:1 to strike all the language and table this matter forever.
at 3:08:00 Superintendent Vital clarifies marketing vs branding a specific program not renaming schools.

As a taxpayer, it concerns me greatly that CUSD spend so much time and money on "marketing". This is $55,000 to come up with marketing materials that focus on buzz words such as STEM and STEAM to trick parents into thinking there is something unique, different or special about a school simply because the CUSD adds the word "academy" to the name of an existing school. This is a waste of taxpayer money and again- it has already been implemented without Board approval.

This article is to long for the patch - it can be read in full at: http://disclosurecusd.blogspot...