By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

Benicia Unified School District trustees will convene for a special meeting Thursday to consider cutting one district food service position and reducing the hours of another — though no one will actually lose their job, a school official stressed.

Assistant Superintendent Michael Gardner will present for board approval Resolution 11-12-22 to make the reductions for the 2012-13 school year.

The moves are being made “(i)n response to the increased costs of providing food services (and) the resulting economic uncertainties posed in the Benicia Unified School District,” Gardner wrote in a report to the board.

The full-time position slated to be eliminated is Senior Food Service Assistant, and the position slated to see a reduction in hours is Food Service Assistant, a part-time position.

But in an email Tuesday, Gardner stressed that while “there is a need to reduce expenditures for the upcoming school year,” no one would actually lose their job because personnel will be shuffled to vacant positions — one of which is the Food Service Assistant slated for a reduction in hours.

“The good news is that even though the Senior Food Service position will be eliminated, we currently have another Food Service Assistant position open, so no one will totally lose their job,” Gardner said.

“The Food Service is a district department which has a central kitchen and serves every school. Bruce Hall, the director of Food Services, is in the process of reorganizing his department to cover the loss of the positions.”

Also on the board’s agenda:

Up for approval in the consent calendar section of the meeting are approval of the annual application for federal funding known as the Consolidated Application, as well as authorization of designated personnel to sign contract documents for the fiscal year 2012-13.

“The Consolidated Application (ConApp) is used by the California Department of Education to distribute categorical funds from various state and federal programs to county offices, school districts, and direct-funded charter schools throughout Callifornia,” Karen Dubrule, director of curriculum, wrote in a report to the board.

The resolution authorizing designated personnel to sign contracts, meanwhile, “is also an annual resolution that is required for district personnel to be able to sign contracts and documents,” Gardner wrote Tuesday.

If You Go
The Benicia Unified School District board of Trustees will meet at 6 p.m. for a closed session, and at 6:15 p.m. for the regular open session at the district board room, 350 East K St.

Sharing is caring!