Schools

Light Amid Clouds: Helix Students Gain Honors as Charter Board Faces Possible Budget Horrors

Miguel Parada bestows Student Representative Awards, saluting above-and-beyond club officers and senior projects, while panel eyes looming budget deficits.

In two or three years, Helix Charter High School could be in the throes of a budget crisis. In 2011-12, the school will have a stricter policy against bullying and more focused vision and mission statements.

But at Monday night’s meeting of the nine-member Helix charter board, students and parents in the audience were focused only on the moment—and beaming with pride.

Miguel Parada, who sits on the Helix charter board as student rep, bestowed what he called the first-ever Student Representative Awards on seven classmates—four of whom were present.

Find out what's happening in La Mesa-Mount Helixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“You are here today because you make Helix Charter a more distinguished school,” Parada said.

The awards went to five girls and two boys—club officers or student project achievers—“because you stand out from the rest,” he said.

Find out what's happening in La Mesa-Mount Helixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

They were saluted, he said, because their work doesn’t get very much recognition.

So one after another, certificates were read honoring:

  • Anastasia Shevchenko, winner of the Outstanding President Award, for founding, promoting and leading the Human Rights Club.
  • Alexandra Steele, winner of the Vice President Award, for work with the Christian Club that provided food for the Homecoming Carnival and for organizing community service—as well as hosting many gatherings at her house.
  • Alexis Jenkins, winner of the Outstanding Secretary Award, for promoting the Helix chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions, or SADD, club “through assemblies, activities and weekly meetings.”
  • And Dawn Simonson, winner of the Outstanding Treasurer Award, for “counting pennies” but also working hard with younger members of the Gay-Straight Alliance “to make them feel welcome.”

Three students accepted “above-and-beyond” awards for their senior projects:

  • Rinda Sutrathada for her work putting on a dodgeball fundraiser than brought in more than $1,000 on behalf of pediatric trauma prevention.
  • Kevin Gutowski for work with the East County Youth Symphony that included composing a song for a string quartet and holding a fundraising concert for the group.
  • And Benjamin Johnson, who “emceed all the junior varsity football games this season” as his choice for the obligatory senior project.

Parada, whose term on the board ends next week, thanked grade-level Principal Paula Ann Trevino for helping put the event together, Athletic Director Damon Chase, Executive Director Rani Goyal and Executive Assistant Sharon Church and Facilities Manager Ken Britschgi.

Also celebrating success was math teacher Cathy Singer, who presented the proposed school mission and vision statements  “to lessen the confusion” of several versions online and in school documents.

She expected action next month to formally adopt the statements—with minor amendments, such as spelling out HCHS. (See attached document.)

Teachers Colleen Robinson and Christina Potter were pleased with their reception as well—unanimous adoption of an anti-bullying policy to replace one in the student handbook that Robinson called “too vague [with] not enough teeth in it.”

Chemistry instructor Robinson and librarian Potter said the policy was the result of four months’ work by 20 teachers and support staff as part of a Task Force on School Climate.

They said the group is working on other projects, including a policy on “careless language”—swearing and ethnic slurs, for example.

The board then heard a budget update from Doug Murphy, the school’s business manager, who projected a net debt of $500,000 next year for a school that spends about $1.5 million a month.

School board President Brian Kick said after the meeting that no layoffs would come this year, and “our goal is solvency.”

Talks with the Helix Teachers Association and the work of a staff Budget Committee will factor into decisions on various scenarios for cuts, the charter board heard.

But board members, when told of possible red ink, expressed concerns—even as they approved a 180-day school calendar for 2011-12, or five more days than the current year.

“We’re at a very critical place now,” said board member John Van Cleef, fearful for what he called the enduring legacy of the institution.

 “We can’t [inadequately] cut the deficit and hope for the best,” he said.  The figures provided by Murphy are “going to force difficult decisions.”

Students at Helix Charter High School—half of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunches—have already signaled their own difficult choices. They are mulling whether they can afford to attend Grad Night.

Board member Keith Johnson reported that a trip to Magic Mountain, at $85 a student, had fallen through. And the option of a Hornblower Cruise in San Diego Bay also was a no-go because of its requirement that 225 students sign up.

This put the sponsoring PTSA “a whisker away from canceling Grad Night this year,” he told the board.

But a recent survey found a trip to the Clairemont Boomers—a small amusement park—was acceptable, and a portion of the $85 cost could go toward “freebies” and door prizes.

Johnson said only 100 members of the 500-member graduating class might attend the annual party.  

Tickets have been sold since the start of school, but students have asked for refunds, he said.  Some parents had lost their jobs and needed the money for food.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here