June 22, 2006

SCHOOL SCENEin Almaden Valley

Popular Leigh principal Rick Costanza to retire after
30-year stint with Campbell Union High School District

By Carol Rosen
Staff Writer

Thirty years ago Rick Costanza was working as a waiter at the Garret in the Pruneyard. On his first wedding anniversary, July 12, 1976, he got a phone call to come to Westmont High School for a job interview and he's been with the Campbell Union High School District ever since.

While some of his memorabilia has been packed away, Rick Costanza stands proudly amongst the items marking his 30-year career at Campbell Union High School District that he has yet to pack away. Photo by Carol Rosen

Costanza is retiring from teaching and administration on July 1. He spent 22 years at Westmont, moving to Leigh in 1998 as dean of students. Three years later he took over as principal.

Most of those around Costanza, consider him laid back and easy to work with. Students say he's easy to talk with and fair.

"It's kind of a shock. It doesn't seem real [that he's retiring]" said Adara Beamesderfer, who will be a senior at Leigh this fall. She likes the way he says "hi" to students he meets in the hall. She also says, even though she has never been in trouble, that Costanza follows the school's zero tolerance policy. "He gets to the bottom of the problem and seems fair in all punishments."

Costanza talked about bumping into some former students one night, including a student he had expelled. All were excited to see him, but the student he expelled seemed even more excited than the others.

They later talked and the former student told Costanza that the principal's action had been the best thing that ever happened to him. "He said that [the action] got him away from a bad crowd and away from drugs. He got his high school diploma, and went on with his life as a stronger person," said Costanza.

Obviously, all the stories don't turn out quite that well, but Costanza's career has been a fun and "wild ride," he said.

The kudos don't stop there. CUHCD Superintendent Dr. Rhonda Farber notes that the popular principal will really be missed. "He's been a positive influence on hundreds and hundreds of students. He has a dedication and commitment to and for students. He will be greatly missed. The students will look for him around the corner. He definitely at a presence at Leigh," she said.

Teacher and coach
Costanza decided to become a teacher when he was a junior in high school and developed a love of history. He and his family moved to the Bay Area from Southern California in his sophomore year. He graduated from St. Francis High School and went to San Jose State where he received a Bachelor of Arts in social science.

He received his teaching credential in 1975 from San Jose State University. "I think I got the last life time teaching credential from San Jose State," he said. Costanza landed the job at Westmont after that interview in 1976. He taught social science courses and boy's basketball for five years and girl's basketball for 11 years. He also coached tennis and two years of baseball.

After pursuing his preliminary administration credential and then his Masters in education in 1988 from University of Laverne in Southern California, Costanza finished his permanent administrative credential in 2001 from National University going to night school.

"I had been teaching at St. Simons School in Los Altos for three years. I taught [social sciences] seventh and eighth grades and coached the basketball and track teams," he said.

He thought the fact that he was a coach helped him get the job at Westmont. He even agreed to teach a typing class because he really wanted the job.

"About 15 years later, I was teaching history and coaching, and there was a downturn in the economy and enrollment dropped. Lots of teachers were laid off. I was the second to last history teacher in seniority," he remembers.

He too was laid off and went through the summer without a job.

Just before school started Rhonda Farber, current CUHSD superintendent and then principal of Westmont, and vice principal Terry Pelosi, called the relieved Costanza asking him to return as a temporary teacher for a federally funded program. "Basically, I was a resource teacher."

In 1992, they asked him to do it again. But this time the school needed an activities director. They insisted he take the position, especially since it would mean steady work.

"Rick was an exciting teacher and kids really like him," Dr. Farber added. "[At Westmont] He got really involved with the students and with their families. He would go the extra mile for them."

"I had no administrative aspirations. My goal was to teach kids, I was a history teacher and a coach," said Costanza.

Climbing the ladder
But in 1998 after his daughter Lauren graduated from Westmont, he felt the need for a change. When Leigh's principal, Jim Russell, called and told him there was an opening for the dean of students, he took the job. Three years later Russell took a leave and Costanza interviewed and landed the school’s top job.

"I had taken some administrative classes and felt I had nothing to lose. When I made the final cut, I had a feeling I could be a leader and principal. I felt I had some goals and visions and missions after 25 years in the district. I was pleased to inherit such a strong school. Yes, there was work to be done, but I was lucky to get a strong staff, a good student body and a wonderful community to work with."

Things were pretty much status quo through Sept. 10, 2001. "On Sept. 11, I heard the news [about the terrorist acts] on my way to school. I got on the PA system. We had a moment of silence, and then I told the students that they were safe here. I spent the day walking around, going into classrooms and talking with them,” said Costanza.

"We scheduled a candlelight vigil. I was just finishing writing up what to say when my phone rang. A woman was calling, and she told me about a Leigh graduate who was in one of the towers. I threw out the speech and turned it into a eulogy for the woman [a Leigh graduate] who was lost on 9/11."

While Costanza noted that the action "knocked me out of my fairy tale," it also brought the campus together. Students came together and raised money for the families.

"One of the things I've come to like about this job is the challenge. I'm always dealing with the unknown. I spend a good part of my day talking with the students and visiting classes. But you have to be constantly vigilant and communicate. Let people know that you've heard what they have to say. Just as important, you have to be available. My door is always open," Costanza said.

"The job isn't easy," he added. "You have to have passion and maintain focus. And you have to keep that passion until the end. Sometimes [the job] just breaks your heart. Everyone's' children are really good people, and sometimes you have to make a decision that's really hard."

At the same time, he said, his job is not really work. "I come to work every day, but it's not really work. Being with young people keeps you young."

"I've known Rick at least for the 20 years we've worked together. I knew him as a teacher, a coach and a principal. He did a great job. The kids love him. He's sensitive, personable and kind hearted, but stern when he needs to be," said Dr. Farber.

"I've seen him lots of times in a difficult situation. He appears calm and he definitely puts people at ease," she added.

Final graduation
One of the hardest things for Costanza this year was graduation.

"I was extremely nervous about this year's graduation. I had no notes, nothing prepared, but when I entered the field and saw 4,000 people and led the graduates into the stands, I knew what I would say, and it all came from my heart.

"It was sort of a graduation for me too. There were a lot of memories. The students gave me a yearbook that hundreds of them had signed. They were all waiting for me to tear up, and then they gave me a standing ovation. It was hard to say good bye, not just to the students, but to the faculty, parents and staff too."

However, he also welcomes the challenge of retirement. Now, he will have the time to travel, read, spend more time with his family—especially his wife of 31 years—and do some cooking and gardening.

It's not all going to be ease though. Dr. Farber noted there are projects that need to be done and the district can always use an extra pair of hands. Costanza, she said, will be doing some training of athletic coaches. "He's enthusiastic and we will tap his energies," she said.

Relationships built on respect
His unspoken philosophy is respect for the students and the teachers and administrators he works with.

"I admire the kids. My heart is open to them. They work hard. I like to be able to interact with them, to take an interest in them whether it’s where the student works or what team he's on…I like to say hello to them when we're walking down the hall," Costanza said.

As for his staff, "I've never accomplished anything on my own without the work of the community, the staff and the teachers. I've been lucky to be a part of a lot of successes. It's because I always had the strong support of the people I work with. We're all in it together… although sometimes the buck stops here."

Donna Hope will take over as principal on July 1. She comes from Homestead High School and has been in education "quite a few years," said Costanza.

"I'm leaving her a school that's stronger than I found it. I hope my staff and student body and community will support her,” he said. “The hardest part for me is leaving the kids. They can be a real pain in the neck, but they're my kids too."

William’s students take first place in History Hunter’s competition

For the past four months students in Mrs. Polizzotto's fifth grade class at William’s Elementary School have been studying and answering weekly history questions for History Hunters, a program sponsored by the Santa Clara County Office of Education to encourage the study of U.S. history and geography.

Manali Souda, Andy Lee, Kinnera Maturi and Daniel Jio, the students with the most "Classroom Treasure Question” points, were invited to compete in the June tournament at the County Office. The four spent their weekends and evenings studying to be ready for the tournament which took place during the week of June 5-9. Their parents were by their sides as their enthusiastic coaches.

On Friday, June 9, Manali Souda and Andy Lee, won first place in the History Hunters tournament at the Santa Clara County Office of Education. Under the glaring lights of TV cameras and pressure of a timed competition, they showed their understanding of the fifth grade standards for social studies.

The contest was divided into three parts. First, the students used a computer program to see how many states and capitals they could correctly identify in 45 seconds. The next segment required them to answer six geography questions using two maps: American Expansion 1803-1853 and Extending Europe's World 982-1779. The third section was short-answer questions about the Constitution and U.S. history from the Revolution through the Civil War.

Manali Souda received the most points of all the students playing the Classroom Treasure Questions game this year. Andy and Manali each received an iPod nano for winning the competition. Daniel and Kinnera received certificates for being classroom champions.

Williams was the only school in the San Jose Unified School District that participated in the contest.

Grand Jury’s report says Santa Clara County public schools doing better
job of protecting ASB funds following Bret Harte embezzlement case

The 2005-2006 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury has released their findings after reviewing the internal accounting controls of selected Santa Clara County public schools and districts relating to the management and administration of the Associated Student Body (ASB) funds and accounts.

This inquiry was based on a citizen's complaint about the embezzlement of approximately $485,000 of ASB funds from Bret Harte Middle which occurred over a seven-year period ending in January 2005.

It appears that SJUSD has implemented a series of revised policies and procedures that better protect ASB funds.

The report said, “In the minds of public school officials and the general public, ASB funds may be thought of as a few bake sales or car washes a year. What is surprising is that ASB funds have become big business for student organizations. An ASB in a large school district may raise between a half million and a million dollars a year? ASB organizations and ASB funds represent an opportunity for students to learn some of the principles of operating a small business and make a contribution to their school."

In January of 2005, immediately upon detection of a suspicious transaction, an internal audit of ASB funds was initiated by SJUSD. This audit found that the Bret Harte Middle School failed to administer its ASB accounts properly, failed to provide timely bank reconciliation, and failed to conform to the rules and regulations of ASB'S governing body.

The audit revealed that about 260 suspicious transactions (involving the issuance of nearly $485,000 in checks) had taken place during a seven-year period. The transactions involved altering amounts on copied invoices and obtaining payment with fraudulently generated invoices. The largest loss came from transactions that lacked supporting documentation.

The audit led to an investigation by the San Jose Police Department in January 2005. The Bret Harte ASB Clerk Barbara Price was indicted, convicted, and sentenced to three years in state prison. Price was ordered to repay $700,000 in restitution. No other SJUSD personnel were believed to be involved in the embezzlement.

The Grand Jury reviewed the policies, practices, and procedures that were in place during the embezzlement at the Bret Harte Middle School. The inquiry checked to see that appropriate corrective actions had been taken to prevent similar fraudulent activities in the future. The Grand Jury also looked beyond SJUSD and visited another district office, another middle school, and two high schools. During these visits, the Grand Jury reviewed ASB fund policies.

San Jose Unified School District’s response
After the embezzlement was uncovered, SJUSD published an Administrative Bulletin titled "Procedure for Issuance of ASB Checks," dated February 16, 2005. This bulletin was sent to all school administrators in SJUSD.

The Administrative Bulletin contains ten specific guidelines to improve the ASB payment process. This bulletin clearly states that the principal of each school is responsible for ASB funds and activities, and the District Office is responsible for general oversight of the funds.

Prior to the embezzlement, SJUSD conducted an annual audit at schools within the District. The audit checklist was a two-page document which sampled ASB activity, but was not comprehensive.

After the embezzlement, SJUSD revised the "ASB – Mid Year Audit Program Checklist." This eight-page document includes the following audit objectives:

• "Cash in the balance sheet is on hand or in transit, and reconciled to the accounts in a timely manner.

• "Cash receipting procedures provide for an adequate afidit trail through the use of cash receipts or other documentation.

• "Cash disbursements contain the required three signatures for approval and prohibited expenditures are avoided.

• "Inventory is properly accounted for with physical inventories being taken and cost pricing supported by recent invoices.

• "Minutes of ASB meetings are maintained and included approvals of fundraisers and authorizations of expenditures.

• "Revenues are supported by revenue potentials to account for monies expected to be collected and monies actually collected.

• "Tickets are safeguarded from improper use and accounted for at each event."

The Grand Jury also reviewed several manuals and tools currently in use to train SJUSD School and ASB administrators to monitor and manage the ASB funds.

Grand Jury’s conclusion
The results of this review revealed that SJUSD has implemented revised policies and procedures at the local school level, as well as at the District Office. These policies address shortcomings that previously existed. In the small sample of schools visited in other districts, controls also appear to be in place.