TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

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1. JOSE GASPAR: Do we have too many school districts?

   By Jose Gaspar

   Sunday, May 13 2012 08:00 PM

   Former teacher Carol Xavier wonders why Kern County has 47 school districts, the third most in the entire state.

   "I'm concerned about the administrative costs and so much duplication," she said.

   The latest numbers from the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office show we have a total of 173,737 students in grades K-12 this year, which is a slight drop from last year. Some districts continue to see stagnant student growth rates or even a decline.

   Would it not make sense then to consolidate school districts so they could be more cost-effective? Especially those that have just one or two schools with fewer than 1,000 students? Maybe.

   If you think 47 school districts is too many, consider that at one time Kern County had 108 districts in the early 1900s.

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2. JOSE GASPAR: Parents become experts in helping their exceptional children

   Six years ago I met a group of parents who come from the humblest of places all over Kern County.

3. JOSE GASPAR: Should school board members get health benefits?

   During this time of the year, I've been covering an annual ritual in public schools. It's the dance of the layoff notices in which a school district issues a notice to teachers and other employees that they might not have a job next school year. And in every case, every year there are the usual speeches given during school board meetings about how difficult this decision was to make and that no one takes pleasure in letting valued people go.

4. JOSE GASPAR: Mira Monte duo helping students live their dreams

   I've got to give credit when it is rightfully deserved. So I'd like to share the story of two mentors at Mira Monte High School who are passionate in their respective fields in education in large part because they believe in their students. And partly because they can identify with and see their own reflection in these students from when they were that age.

5. JOSE GASPAR: Debate over Spanish-speaking candidates reverberates in Kern

   Petra Villanueva lives in Arvin and just like a good deal of its residents, she speaks mostly Spanish. A stay-at-home mom, Villanueva has become a well-known figure at school board meetings where board members cringe when she gets up to speak on issues important to the community. She is not shy about expressing her opinion and calling for public accountability.

6. Activist draws attention to AIDS in black community

   As if Kern County's African-American community didn't have enough challenges -- a high dropout rate, high unemployment and poverty rates -- along comes something else that is unnerving and devastating the lives of a whole community, particularly young black men. I'm talking about HIV/AIDS. Don't believe me? I must admit I found it a little unbelievable at first. But after reviewing the documentation on the subject provided by national and county health experts, it left me wondering why this situation existed. And what -- and who -- is doing something about it.

7. New year brings challenges to government, mall

   Many of us look forward to what a new year will bring in hope of making our lives or community a better place -- or at least a bit more interesting as we venture into circumstances we weren't quiet expecting.

9. JOSE GASPAR: New Bishop looks forward to new role

   I had a chance to recently meet with Bishop Armando X. Ochoa, the new leader of the Diocese of Fresno, the 14th largest Roman Catholic diocese in the nation that includes Kern County.

10. Jose Gaspar: Film about storied track team up, running

    They say that young people are the key to making a better future. Throw in adults who selflessly give of their time and effort, genuinely caring about young people as if they were their own flesh and blood, and you've got the makings of a Hollywood movie. That's exactly what happened in McFarland.

11. JOSE GASPAR: Plenty of ideas to save East Hills Mall

    A few weeks ago, I posed a question in my column: Can East Hills Malls be saved? And many readers jumped in with comments and suggestions on ways to improve, if not, save the financially troubled East Hills Mall in northeast Bakersfield.

12. JOSE GASPAR: McFarland's hiring of four police officers raises questions

    It was hard to believe what the caller was saying, so naturally I was skeptical.

13. Plan for deportation cases raises questions

    Confusion has reigned since recent news broke that the feds will review 300,000 cases of undocumented immigrants currently in deportation proceedings, with the possibility of allowing some to stay in the country. 

14. JOSE GASPAR: Maricopa and McFarland face city problems

    This is a tale of two cities as Charles Dickens would say. McFarland and Maricopa sit in opposite ends of Kern County. Yet both are caught up in city chaos and alleged mismanagement.