Tehachapi School Board Update

At the Aug. 8 School Board meeting, some Board members expressed their concern about recent vandalism at Golden Hills Elementary School. They wanted to be sure repairs could be made before students returned for the school year. It was proposed that members of the Tehachapi School Board take a letter to the Kern County Board of Education to ask for assistance, perhaps in the form of night and weekend security. At least two members will be attending the county meeting.

The Board was asked to approve the Positive Prevention Plus curriculum to satisfy the Sexual Health and HIV Prevention Education requirement of the California Department of Education. The curriculum was developed for grades 7 through 12. The District approved a 30 day public review period at the June 13 meeting and while no comments were received, Trustee Carrie Austin expressed concern that parts of it were inappropriate for some seventh graders and felt that parents should be aware that they have a choice to opt out of the class in writing. She urged parents to review the curriculum. The Board finally approved the curriculum with a 4-2 vote with Carrie Austin and Joe Wallek voting against.

The Board voted unanimously to approve the new Graphic Design II class. THS Principal Scott Heitman briefly outlined the curriculum and introduced instructor, Arnie Gonzales. The course will teach the principles of design and show the students how design affects them in their everyday life. The students will be learning the use of design software like Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop and how to use them in projects for the school. They will learn the elements of design, the design process, composition and layout, and typography. They will also learn screen printing and it is hoped that they will be able to design and print t-shirts for various high school groups and sports events.