On May 15 the Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint Unified School Board (DPOLJU) came together to celebrate accomplishments from students and staff, the California School Employees Association (CSEA) presented defense for retirement incentives and the board cleared up miscommunication about reserved seating.
Students and staff were in the spotlight during this Dos Palos School Board Meeting. Following a poetry unit at Bryant Middle School, students were awarded ribbons after receiving top honors at the 41st Annual Merced County Writing Festival Contest.
The Dos Palos High School “Every 15 Minutes” event, which was spearheaded by Ms. Lucia Lopez-Robledo, was also highlighted during the meeting. This two-day educational program discourages drinking and driving because every 15 minutes a person dies from alcohol-related crashes. This program would not have been possible without the participation of students so they were awarded a certificate for their participation.
Staff from the DPOLJU School District were recognized by the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Jason Von Allen, for their collaborative action and efforts in the classroom.
Marisela Camarena, who has worked with the district since 2002, was recognized as Classified Employee of the 2024-2025 year. Over the span of her career with the district, she has worn many hats, including library clerk, health tech and administrative assistant, and is now serving as a site secretary at Marks Elementary.
The Preschool Teacher of the Year was Corinna Delgadillo, who started as a preschool aide in 2017 and worked her way up. Ms.Delgadillo has been a vital member of the Dos Palos Early Childhood Education Center and has tailored her approach to fit the needs of every child.
The Teacher of the Year award was given to Norma Zavala as she was reported to be an energetic and motivating teacher both in and outside of the classroom. “She was one of the strongest teachers I had at Marks [Elementary],” says Von Allen.
Kevin Jones who currently was recognized as the Admin of the Year after having served 20 years in the classroom and worked his way up to the Director of Intervention and Alternative Education at George Christian Education Center. “[He] is one of the success stories of the Dos Palos Oro Loma Unified School District,” says Von Allen. “He is an advocate for all his students.”
Board President Maria Lorenzetti-Davis expressed gratitude to the staff. “I want you to know that those kids don’t produce anything, they don’t get to school, they don’t get through their day without every single one of you, your staff and your colleagues,” says Lorenzetti-Davis. “We see you, we hear you and we appreciate you.”
The board proceeded to propose an action item for the consideration of a 4-year retirement incentive by the Dos Palos-Oro Loma Teachers’ Association (DPOTLA) and the California School Employees Association (CSEA).
CSEA president Alejandra Solis emphasized that families rely on these incentives when making choices throughout their livelihood that involve finance and healthcare.
“These incentives are not just numbers on a budget sheet; they represent a pathway to retirement that families build their lives around,” says Solis. “Honoring these early retirement incentives is not a handout, it is a long overdue acknowledgment of service rendered to our members considering retirement.”
CSEA members proceeded to read testimonials from individuals eligible for retirement.
Andrew Montez, CSEA labor relations representative, finalized the sentiments by speaking about the quality of employees that the district has. He highlighted Mrs. Zavala and the dedication she had to the district despite having a sick child at home.
“Her [California Teacher Association] brothers and sisters donated a lot of time for her to use for little Mario to get treatment,” Montez said. “During that time, she [still] came to work [and] only missed when she had to. Those are the kind of employees you have working here.”
The action to discuss and adopt the reopener proposal for 2025-2025 was passed by the board.
Other announcements from the board include a miscommunication that occurred during April’s board meeting. The board acknowledged concerns raised by community members regarding their conduct during open sessions in relation to stadium seat fundraisers.
Historical seatholders were given the opportunity to keep their seats by the Athletic Boosters and were notified that the district would be taking over the fundraiser.
Lorenzetti-Davis said that the boosters did their due diligence by notifying seatholders. However, she wanted to make it clear that April’s discussion was misinterpreted by community members.
“There has been no definite answer, no vote. It is nothing more at this point than a discussion” says Lorenzetti-Davis.
Board Member Frank Lemos also expressed discontent. “We are being spoken for,” says Lemos. “We did not say those things, we did not vote on those things, we were having a conversation and a discussion.”
During the meeting, President of Jack Schreder & Associates, Elona Cunningham, presented the Prop 2 Eligibility Report for the district.
Under the School Facility Program (SB50), SB50 allows for funding opportunities involving the modernization of school facilities. In November 2024, Prop 2 passed, and a total of $8.5 billion became available for TK-12 districts, of which smaller districts are set aside $330 million for new construction and $400 million for modernization plans.
Funding for new construction was based on the number of unhoused people in the district and will be split 50/50 by the state and district. Based on 2023-2024 calculations, there is a 10-year projection for new construction where a total of 218 will have to be housed. For the funding to be reserved, the district must get an application submitted and plans approved by the DSA and CDE to be fronted the funds for 5 years.
The funding is given on a first-come, first-served basis, so Cunningham stressed the urgency.
“Being a small district, there is a preliminary portion application through Prop 2,” says Cunningham. “But the state has acknowledged that for smaller districts, it takes longer sometimes to get in line.”
Modernization funds will be provided based on the number of classrooms that are 25 years old per permanent and 20 years old per portable.
These funds will be on a 60/40 level split where the state pays the majority. In May 2023, the portables owned by the district turned overage for the second time.
Cunningham says that the goal is to be reimbursed for projects already completed and then talk about prospective projects later.
“With the goal being in mind sooner, rather than later,” says Cunningham.
Other information presented by Technology Systems Director Loren Nield was that of Raptor Visitor Management Software for Schools. Raptor Technologies allows school campuses to Scan IDs and does a background check for anyone entering school grounds. This was adopted at the end of 2019 and all sites use this at their main offices.
