EL SEGUNDO HERALD February 15, 2018 Page 3
Letters Wiseburn School Board Narrows
Search for Superintendent,
Contemplates Bond
By Duane Plank
Last Thursday evening’s 90-minute open
meeting of the Wiseburn School Board revolved
around the only special presentation
on the truncated agenda – discussion of a
possible bond measure that could face voters
on the June 5 ballot. The presentation came
courtesy of representatives of the research
firm EMC Research, based in Oakland; and
East Shore Consulting, also based in Oakland,
which specializes in polling, focus groups and
public opinion research consulting.
Prior to the bond presentation, the assembled
board members met in closed session to winnow
down the number of applicants to take
over the Wiseburn Unified School District
superintendent reins from Tom Johnstone,
who announced his plans to retire at the end
of the school year.
Over 40 candidates expressed interest in
the position, with 28 applications received.
Although the board members Thursday
evening did not divulge how many of the
applicants made the final cut, the winners
will take part in face-to face interviews on
the Feb. 23-24 weekend.
EMC Vice President Jessica Polsky and East
Shore’s Michael Riemenschneider made the
45-minute presentation (and answer session)
on the results of a survey they recently
completed of likely voters in the district
and the feasibility of getting a $39 million
school bond passed when the voters go to
the polls on June 5.
The telephone/Web hybrid survey conducted
Jan. 18-30 included 220 interviews.
Among the key findings, respondents have
positive opinions of Wiseburn Unified and
Da Vinci schools and give the District high
ratings. A majority of the respondents trust
the District to properly manage tax dollars.
Initial support for a bond measure is at 59
percent, which is four points above the 55
percent threshold for passage. High priorities
include maintaining STEM classrooms/labs
and updating technology, keeping property
values strong, and continuing citizen oversight
of bond spending.
The survey showed Wiseburn’s ratings as
very positive, especially regarding the quality
of buildings and grounds as well as the
quality of education. Seventy-six percent of
those polled feel that overall the District is
doing an “excellent or good” job.
Riemenschneider, noting the positive responses,
posited that now is the time to take
advantage of public relations opportunities
in spreading the word to voters. Nearly twothirds
of the respondents trust the District to
properly manage tax dollars and are willing to
tax themselves to maintain top-notch schools,
but there is a substantial anti-tax sentiment.
Fifty-three percent of those polled strongly
or somewhat agree that they are generally
opposed to property tax increases, regardless
of the reason for the increase.
The proposed measure to provide innovative
K-12 classrooms; 21st century technology,
upgraded facilities to prepare students for
college/careers; new athletic facilities; solar
panels to reduce costs; and the ability to
continue improving school facilities is on the
table. Despite the early 59 percent approval
rate for the potential bond, it also has the
caveat of lower-propensity voters included in
the polling. This means that those respondents
answered the poll questions, but might not
actually vote.
While younger voters are “highly supportive,”
less than half of those who are
Republicans and voters between 50 and 64
would vote yes on the measure. More than
seven in 10 renters said they would support
the bond, while parents polled a 71 percent
approval rate.
Among the bond components included in
the outreach to June 5 voters were to maintain
K-12 STEAM classrooms and labs, and to
keep schools well-maintained. Those items
were deemed top priorities. Providing new
athletic fields and solar panels, not so much.
Support for four previous bond measures
in Wiseburn was higher than the numbers
shown in the current polling. The consultants
concluded that while passage of
another bond measure appears feasible, it
may be more difficult than it has been in the
past given the concern that there are already
too many taxes. They noted that turnout
in a June election may have a significant
impact since lower-propensity voters are
substantially more supportive of the possible
bond measure. An independently funded
campaign is recommended to ensure voters
understand the benefits of strengthening
local schools.
Not much occurred with the rest of the
meeting agenda, though the new timeline
for Phase 2 of the Wiseburn construction
project has been moved down the road to
Sept. 12, according to Johnstone. Director
of Facilities Planning Vince Madsen emailed,
“We are starting to get good traction on the
work at the aquatics center now that we have
resolved most of the soil challenges on site,
which is our Phase 2 project. With all of
the challenges we have had in both phases
of the project, we are still working within
the original budget funds and are working
very hard with the design and construction
teams to keep us on budget. Even though we
have had change orders going to the board
monthly, we have not gone over budget
yet. The approvals the board have taken action
on recently are simply reallocating our
already approved contingency funds to our
individual trade contractors as needed. I am
very proud at where we are with this very
unique and challenging high school project
and how we have managed the problems
as a collaborative team and managed the
originally allocated funds. We are not out of
the woods on budget yet, but I am still very
hopeful that at the end of the day we can
keep the overall $160 million cost for this
state-of-the-art high school under control and
have less than a 1 percent budget increase
when we are completed.” •
Plank Doesn’t Please
Someone once referred to me as the “least
articulate person in El Segundo”. After muddling
through Duane Plank’s last two columns,
I think it’s time for me to relinquish my title.
– Mike Brady
We Don’t Live in Cuba
This is a statement to any citizen of the
United States of America who wants to stop
another citizen from stating their opinion.
Amendment I of the U.S. Constitution:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom
of speech, or of the press or the right of the
people to peaceably to assemble, and to petition
the government for the redress of grievances.”
I read both Vasquez and Plank. I do not
always agree with them but I want to be able
to read their writings.
– Pat Smith •
Police Briefs
Rosecrans Lane Closures
from Edison Project
Southern California Edison (SCE)
started construction of its tower replacement
east of Sepulveda Boulevard to just east of
Village Drive this past Sunday continuing
through Feb. 16 (Stage 1) and will resume
Feb. 18-23 (Stage 2). The work requires
use of massive cranes spanning three lanes
of traffic on westbound Rosecrans Avenue.
The complexities of the project entail a 16-
hour construction window with work hours
11 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday to Friday to avoid
afternoon rush hours.
Lane closures are as follows:
• Stage 1 (Feb.11-16): One westbound traffic
lane will be open to traffic from Aviation
Boulevard to Village Drive. All westbound
traffic lanes will be closed off from Village
to Sepulveda. Eastbound traffic not impacted.
Detours will be set up at Aviation and Douglas
Street to divert traffics.
• Stage 2 (Feb 18-23): One westbound
traffic lane will be open to traffic from Aviation
to Village. All westbound traffic lanes
will be open after Village. Two eastbound
traffic lanes will be open from Sepulveda
to Apollo Street. All eastbound traffic lanes
will be open after Apollo.
• Los Angeles County Sheriff officers will
direct traffic at Rosecrans and Village as well
as flaggers at crosswalk locations to safely
escort pedestrians.
Public works and police staff are working
diligently with SCE and coordinating
with other public agencies (Manhattan
Beach, Caltrans, etc.) to minimize impacts
to the public. Check the City of El
Segundo website and Facebook page for
project updates. For SCE customer service,
call 1-800-655-4555.
– Source: ESPD
Bicycle Thief Arrested
On Saturday, Feb. 3 at around 12:30
p.m., an observant El Segundo officer on
routine patrol observed a male subject,
later identified as Gustavo Flores, riding
a blue Schwinn sidewinder bicycle while
pushing a silver and blue men’s mountain
bike in the area of Imperial Highway and
Nash Street. Flores made inconsistent
statements in the field that led officers to
believe both bicycles were possibly stolen
and he was subsequently arrested. El Segundo
detectives are requesting the public’s help
in locating the rightful owner(s) of either
bicycle. Please call Detective Chris Amorino
at 310-524-2258 if you have any information
related to this case. •
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