July 27, 2006

SCHOOL BRIEFS

San Jose Unified receives ‘A+’ rating from Standard & Poor’s

Standard & Poor’s Public Finance Publication of July 24, 2006 assigned its ‘A+’ rating to San Jose Unified School District California’s certificates with a “stable” outlook.

The S & P’s rating acknowledged the challenges San Jose Unified has managed over the past few years. Due to declining enrollment there have been spending cuts including teacher reductions and school closures. The three-year labor contract signed in advance of 2007 was also mentioned in the report as a positive feature in aiding the budget process.

S & P’s Public Finance Report states, “ San Jose Unified School District’s management practices are considered to be “good” under Standard & Poor’s Financial Management Assessment. The district goes beyond state mandates by projecting a fourth year operations, rather than the mandated three-year. The district’s projections are intended to help identify possible shortfalls.”

Ann Jones, SJUSD’s chief business officer said, “We are very pleased with the rating from Standard & Poor’s. Our community has placed their trust in the school district and the Board of Education. S & P’s rating and report provides the community with the external validation their money is invested wisely. We continue to look as far into the future as we can to develop a plan to address forthcoming challenges. SJUSD believes in action not reaction.”

Hitting the books pays off

Lincoln grad Jessica Kallam lands on dean’s list at Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. has announced that Jessica Kallam has landed on the dean’s list for the spring semester of the 2006 academic year. Kallam grew up in Almaden Valley, attended Castillero Middle School and is a 2004 Lincoln High School graduate. She is the daughter of Stephanie and Paul Kallam.

The Berklee curriculum focuses on practical career preparation for today’s music industry.

Leland grad Shenmin Gong lands on dean’s list at University of Rochester

Shenmin Gong, a junior majoring in political science and economics at the University of Rochester, has been named to the dean’s list for academic achievement. Gong, a graduate of Leland High School, is the son of Jason Gong and Mingsheng Cao.

The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., offers a broad liberal education with three main areas of knowledge: humanities, social sciences and physical sciences/engineering.