By Janis Mork

February 25, 2013 (Spring Valley)--CSEA’s (California School Employees Association) Chapter 419 has announced an agreement to save benefited positions in the Child Nutrition Department at La Mesa-Spring Valley School District middle schools.  

Anna Bongard, kitchen manager (left) with lunch workers Debbie Martin and Doris Evans

November 13, 2012  --  (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL/REGIONAL

• Filner’s priorities (U-T San Diego)
• Judge rejects gag order in SDG&E noose case (U-T San Diego)
• La Mesa Police warn of mall robbers (U-T San Diego)
• Girl bitten 6 times after stepping n rattler nest (KUSI)
• Escondido scrambling in wake of Prop P (North County Times)
• Jerry Sanders named CEO of regional chamber of commerce (Lemon Grove Patch)
• Suspects ID’d in Lakeside rock throwing ((U-T San Diego)

STATE

• ACLU asks courts t block part of Prop 35 on human trafficking  (Sacramento Bee)
• Jerry plan plans to restrain Democratic desires at capital (Sacramento Bee)
• Moody’s says  Prop 30 passage a boost to school credit (Sacramento Bee)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

By Bill Weaver

November 8, 2012 (San Diego) –Tuition at 23 California State University campuses—including San Diego State University and Cal State San Marcos locally, will rescind a $249-per-semestser tuition fee hike that had taken effect in the fall term. Fees will now revert back to $5,472, the same rate as last year.

“We are hopeful that the passage of Proposition 30 will be the beginning of the state’s reinvestment in higher education,” CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed said in a statement issued yesterday.

By Janis Mork

October 26, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) - Elana Levens-Craig is running against Gabriel Pina and Robin Fries for the Santee School Board Seat 4.   ECM has contacted all candidates; below is Levens-Craig's interview with ECM.

Levens-Craig says she “is focusing on the ABC’s: Academics (innovate and improve classrooms), Budget (protect students’ education from financial cuts), and Communication (involve the community with their schools).”

October 12, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – There are numerous important initiatives on the November 6 ballot. Topics include education funding, clean energy, criminal penalties, taxes and labeling what’s in your food. For our nonpartisan analysis and arguments on both sides of each proposition, click the links below.

Prop 30 aims to raise funds to stem budget cuts in public education

Prop 31 seeks to change state budget cycle

Prop 32: Political reforms or silencing voices?

Prop 33: Insurance reforms or consumer scam?

By Thea Skinner

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this story

October 10, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--Proposition 30 is the Schools and Safety Protection Act, also known as the temporary taxes to fund education. The measure aims to provide a stable source of funds for public education, which has seen budgets slashed severely in recent years. Local schools have seen teacher lay-offs and class sizes increase; colleges have severely cut back course offerings and some have even eliminated summer school.

Proposition 30 increases income taxes for seven years on Californian residents who earn over $250,000 a year or couples earning over $500,000 a year. It also increases sales taxes for residents of California by ¼ cent for four years. If passed, Prop 30 could raise $6 billion annually for community colleges and K-12 schools.

September 6, 2012  --  (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL/REGIONAL

• La Mesa-Spring Valley schools face cuts of $12.5 million  if tax vote fails (La Mesa Patch)
• Wages in San Diego not rising fast enough (UT San Diego)
• La Mesa City Council Candidates (La Mesa Courier)
• 10 privatization fact checks (Voice of San Diego)
• 21 homes red-tagged: What to expect from classic Brawley earthquake swarm  (NBC)
• Recruiting allegations haunt Helix, defending state football champions (Mt. Helix Patch.com)

STATE

• California jobs picture brightens (Sacramento Bee)
• Gov. Brown promotes Prop 30, warns of devastating cuts to education if it fails (Santee Patch)
• Most tax deals die as GOP stands united (UT San Diego)
• Self-driving cars approved by California legislature (CNBC)
• California way behind Germany in solar development (KCET)
• Three races could tip the balance of power in state Legislature (Sacramento Bee)
• U.S. Chamber launches ad attacking California budget, economy (Sacramento Bee)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.