Board gets crash course in finance

New board members of the Yuma Union High School District got a crash course in School Finance 101 after a special meeting Monday at Yuma High School.

The board met briefly for a public meeting before moving to a study session on various budget and finance terms to bring newly elected board members up to speed. New members Shelley Mellon and David Lara took their seats in January after the November election and are entering their first fiscal budget year, which starts July 1.

During its special meeting, the board approved Crespin Jay Munoz to be the new facilities director, OK’d the monthly personnel report and an amendment to a contract with the DLR Group, Inc., for architectural services.

The board also met in executive session during which Superintendent Toni Badone presented “charges of dismissal for cause” of Cibola High School P.E. teacher David Canales. The board moved to direct Badone to inform Canales of its intent to dismiss him within 10 days, once he receives the formal letter from the board.

Badone said after the meeting that the charges at this point are allegations, and that Canales has 10 days from his receipt of the letter to ask for a hearing, to which he is entitled.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Canales has been employed at YUHSD for the past 17 years.

Badone also spoke to reports of pranks on the final day of school.

“There was some interesting .. things .. at five of our campuses because it was lunch and it was the last day of school but it really was nothing…,” she said. “There was no damage to any person or any property … it was just the last day of school.”