KHSTA UPDATE
Happy payday (1/30/2026) Friday! We hope you have had a great week!
Updates come out every Friday EXCEPT for the last Friday of the quarter (the KHSTA Newsletter will arrive on these dates). Please check your junk mail folder if you are not receiving them. Past updates will be archived on the KHSTA website (khsta.org).
PROP 55 EXTENSION
FAILURE TO EXTEND PROP 55 WILL RESULT IN A $75 MILLION CUT TO THE KERN HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT. This is about a 13-15% cut to the overall budget in KHSD. Your site rep has petitions to get the Prop 55 extension on the ballot. Prop 55 is not a new tax; it is an extension of a tax that is already being paid by households making more than $700,000. If this occurs, all of us will feel the cuts. We need to get petitions signed to get this on the ballot. If you want to sign or get more information, see your rep.
FOG DELAY INFORMATION
So the fog has finally caught up with us…it was so bad last week that several schools had to cancel. We have gotten a number of questions regarding future delays and those cancellations.
Here’s what we know: for the schools that had to cancel, the district will apply for a waiver for that day. If the waiver is accepted, the site will not have to make it up. If the waiver is denied, the site will have to make it up. In that case, the likeliest scenario is that the school would make up that day on June 1 instead of holding the in-service day. That will not be finalized until the district hears from the state on the waiver.
Currently, only two fog delays are built into the school calendar. If additional fog delays are called, they would require the missed instructional minutes to be made up before the end of the school year. There are several possible ways this could be addressed, including eliminating the two-hour early release days scheduled prior to holiday weeks or weekends, modifying Monday early release schedules, or adding instructional minutes to remaining school days. At this time, no specific plan is in place for additional fog delays. However, should another delay occur, the KHSTA Executive Board will work collaboratively with the district to determine how the required instructional time will be recovered.
DUES LETTER
Tax time approaches once again, and we've attached the letter for your dues withholdings. Remember that this is a general note about the amount of your dues being withheld and how it applies to your particular situation is a conversation for you to have with your tax preparer. If you have questions, please reach out to Treasurer Norma Procell or Membership Chair David Ziegler
10 MINUTE MEETINGS
Your site reps will be doing monthly 10 minute meetings to help keep you informed. Reps should be having a 10 minute meeting to answer questions regarding the tentative contract. February’s topic is Transfers.
VIRTUAL TEN MINUTE MEETING
If you missed your site’s 10 minute meeting this month or if your site didn’t hold one, KHSTA exec board will be doing a Zoom meeting on the second Thursday of the month, at 8:00am and again at 4:00pm -- next month February 12th.. This month’s topic is Transfers.
For the 8:00am meeting, use this link: https://kernhigh-org.zoom.us/j/84450837392.
For the 4:00pm meeting, use this link: https://kernhigh-org.zoom.us/j/83934228707
NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES
The National Education Association Representative Assembly–the RA–is the largest democratic deliberative assembly in the world, with over 8,000 delegates. Over the course of eight business sessions spanning four days, RA delegates debate the vital issues that impact American public education and set Association policy and activities for the year ahead. KHSTA will be opening declarations of candidacy for interested candidates next week and holding the election in the next few weeks. This year, the NEA/RA is being held July 4 - 7, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. Declarations of Candidacy should be out soon. We apologize for jumping the gun -- CTA’s State declarations went out this week. KHSTA’s election for delegates will follow.
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CTA MEMBERS’ CHILDREN
Do you have a senior in high school? CTA offers up to 56 scholarships of up to $5000 to the dependent child of an active member of CTA and can be claimed as a dependent on the member’s current year’s IRS form. Scholarships are available for both comprehensive and continuation/alternative education programs. The deadline for scholarship applications is February 6, 2026. For more information, go to https://www.cta.org/for-educators/scholarships-awards.
CTA VIRTUAL PASS
CTA is again offering their virtual pass. This is professional development that CTA pays for that can be used to move over on the salary schedule for up to six units per column move. It’s a great way to move on the salary schedule. For more information on the courses, go to https://www.cta.org/conferences/virtual-pass/2025-2.
CONFERENCES
KHSTA has reached the limit for grants this year! Over 50 grants have been given to attend various conferences. Conferences may be re-opened if recipients are unable to go.
Happy Friday!! Enjoy your weekend!
KHSTA Executive Board
President: Cathy Adams (FrHS)
Vice President: Mindy Montanio (HHS)
Secretary: Stephanie Valenzuela (AHS)
Treasurer: Norma Procell (HHS)
State Council Reps
Elise Sotello (KL)
Kim Lee (AHS)
Tamara Clark (VWHS)
Joanne Barrick (HHS)
Candi Romero (TDS)
Past President: Vickie Shoenhair (Shafter)
Membership Chair: Dave Ziegler (LHS)
Bargaining, Grievance Chair: Mindy Montanio (HHS)
PAC Chair: Allysa Jones (FHS)
Equity Team: Lori Toia, LGBTQ+ Rep
Site Representatives
Arvin: Stephanie Valenzuela,
Ty Newton
BAS: Linda Colvin
BHS: Hillary Sanders,
Randy Bennett
CHS: Kayole Bradford, Kim Henry
CVHS: Alix Garcia
DOHS: Olive Garrison,
Hannah Richert
District (includes all district programs):
Danny Arretche (KL),
Isaac Rocha (JCC)
EBHS: April Bynum,
Rosemary Silverman
Foothill: Elizabeth Deckard,
Allysa Jones
Frontier: Lara Winn
GVHS: Victoria Hinojosa
HHS: Meaghan Barber Smith
IHS: Robb Polski, Tanya Whitehouse
KVHS: Casey Robinson
LHS: David Ziegler,
Marycoco Ramirez
MMHS: Brooke Malley Ault,
Matt Day
NHS: Erika Zeimet, Tonya Davis
Nueva:
RHS: Kim Smith, Nathan Claunch
ROP/CTEC: Chad Wright,
Scott Trimble
Shafter: Jessica Smith,
Brian Feaster
South: Rebekah Ingle,
Dante Borradori
Stockdale: Gaby Scully
TDS: Candi Romero
VWHS: Karen Roberts*
Vista: Julie Burke
West: Eliza Pearsy, Steve Willis
Liaisons
COUNSELOR: Joanne Barrick (HHS)
NURSE: Jamie Henry (IHS)
PSYCHOLOGIST: Angelina Gonzales (ABLE)
TEACHER-LIBRARIAN: Amanda Rude (SHS)
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Our mailing address is:
Kern High School Teachers Association
2441 F St
Bakersfield, CA 93301