For the first time since the Great Recession began, the Turlock Unified School District Budget Advisory Committee was able to prioritize a list of school and program augmentations and improvements, rather than cuts.

Committee Chairperson Toni Boster gave a short presentation to the TUSD Board of Trustees Tuesday, supplying the committee’s recommendations:

1) Technology replacement, infrastructure and classroom equipment.
2) Increase subject area/ grade level teacher collaboration time.
3) Increase staff development and training days.
4) Instructional materials to support Common Core.
5) Student intervention for academic and behavioral issues both in and out of school.
6) Technology Support position at each site.
7) Safety and security improvements.
8) Counseling support at elementary sites.
9) Major facility maintenance.
10) Compensative review of district salaries and stipends.

These recommendations will be pursued by TUSD if the district has additional funding left over after drafting its base budget for next school year.

Trustees emphasized the importance of recommendations 5 and 8, student intervention and counseling support at elementary school sites. Several of the trustees commented on the growing need for emotional and academic counseling in a large portion of the student population that may come from broken homes or less-than-ideal home environments.