Community Rallies to Keep Two People Doing Vice Principal Duties at WCI

Back in March, parents, teacher and staff packed the Walnut Creek School District board chambers to voice concern about $1 million in budget cuts, including those that would  the loss of one of two vice principals at the district's intermediate school.

The potential loss of this position, occupied by Bridget Voorhees, prompted parents to say they feared for the safety and well-being of the 1,200 students at the downtown Walnut Creek campus.

In addition to handling discipline, Voorhees and her counterpart Kevin Honey perform other duties to keep the campus safe, parents said. She and Honey get to know students, and provide the kind of counseling and support that helps kids get through that challenging transition from childhood to hormone-raging adolescence. The two VPS have also been known to help kids "stop from going down the wrong path," parents said.

Working together, the school's PTA, the Walnut Creek Education Foundation, and Principal Kevin Collins have found a way to keep Voohees on the job, parents said.

Liz Davis, the executive director of WCEF, the fundraising organization for Walnut Creek schools, said that the foundation will contribute $150,000 to Walnut Creek Intermediate this coming year. The foundation has decided that $35,000 will be directed towards this second VP's position.

The Walnut Creek School District board approved this plan, but final say on WCEF's role will be made at the foundation's board meting on Thursday. The school's PTA and the school have decided to come up with the rest.

Cutting Voorhees' position was expected to save the district $120,000 in the 2010-11 school year. 

"We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with the PTA and Kevin," Davis said. "It certainly highlights our campaign slogan 'All Together Now.'"

PTA President Elizabeth Bettis said that the saved position won't technically be that of a a vice principal but a "teacher on special assignment." However, Voorhees will have the same basic duties, she said.

Voorhees could not be reached for comment.

The group will present this plan to the school board at its regular meeting Monday evening.

The board, however, will finalize other budget cuts that it approved in March. They include two days of furloughs for teachers, reductions in hours and pay for special education teachers, cutting one coach's position, and eliminating the prep time for WCI department chairs. With these cuts, class sizes would go to: grades K-3, 25:1; grades 4-5, 28:1; and cap the middle school core classes at 32:1.

Also on the board's agenda for Monday is a discussion about a proposed new policy on homework. 

The meeting will take place 7 p.m. at the district office, 960 Ygnacio Valley Rd., Walnut Creek.