News

February 2016 Hall Monitor

Placement and use of Portable Classrooms has a History of Controversy

In 1963, Chicago Public Schools installed trailers on campuses to add capacity.   Neighborhood school policy of the Superintendent of Schools, Benjamin Willis, included a solution of installing trailers referred to as “Willis Wagons.”  This controversy created a heated public debate about the effect of this policy to keep African-American kids in their local schools. Students of different races were kept separate and their educational opportunities remained far from equal.

See more about a documentary project connecting the 1963 Chicago Public School Boycott to today’s education struggles:
Remembering the use of “Willis Wagons” 50+ years later, civil rights challenges still remain.

By Eric Hall


Corrected Developer Fee Adjustment

On February 24, 2016, the State Allocation Board (SAB) issued acorrection to the January 27th announced increase of $3.36 to the “Level 1” developer fees. The corrected fee is $3.39.
The SAB adjusted Level 1 developer fees for new residential and commercial/industrial construction will take effect immediately. School districts are now authorized to levy up to $3.48 per square foot on new residential construction, a $0.12 increase and $0.56 per square foot on new commercial/industrial construction, a $0.02 increase from the last adjustment.
For more information on this fee increase, please contact Eric Hall at 760-602-9352 or eric@ehanda.com.
                                                       By Julie Romero

SAB Update
The State Allocation Board (SAB) held a Consent Only meeting on February 24, 2016 and voted unanimously to approve the consent calendar. Click to view the meeting agenda.
The consent calendar included three items, two relate to an adjustment to the RS Means Index.
  • Priority funding School Construction Apportionments-this item provides apportionments for $81.7 million for 31 projects from 20 school districts.  Apportionment requests were received by 91 percent of the eligible projects on the Unfunded List. The Board was able to provide apportionments for all of the apportionment requests received.
  • Annual Adjustment to SFP Grants- This item corrects the percentage increase for the Annual Adjustment to School Facility Program Grants from 0.27 percent to 2.79 percent, based on a correction to the RS Means Class B Construction Cost Index.
  • Index Adjustment on the Assessment for Development-This item corrects the percentage increase for the biennial Index Adjustment on the Assessment for Development from 1.05 percent to 3.59 percent, based on the correction to the RS Means Class B Construction Cost Index described above.
SAB’s March 9th meeting was canceled. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.
     CASH Update
 
The next CASH Monthly meeting, as well as the CASH Annual Conference Planning Committee Meeting will be held on March 23, 2016 from 11:00 a.m to 12:15 p.m.
Please visit the web sites for SAB and CASH for information on upcoming meetings and status of funds or contact Bob Nicholson at (858) 414-6268 or  bob@ehanda.com.

We are pleased and honored to serve California school districts and county offices of education and provide services, support and guidance necessary for success.

All the best,

 

Eric Hall, President

Eric Hall & Associates

cell  (760) 519-8531

eric@EHandA.com