The first business of the Plumas County Office of Education’s Dec. 17 board meeting was the swearing in of District 5 board member Matthew De La Montanya. De La Montanya won the seat in the Nov. 4 special election following the resignation of former board member Leslie Edlund, who left before her term ended. His family was in attendance and watched from the audience as Board Chair JoDee Johnson did the honors.
The now-complete PCOE board then elected officers for the new year. JoDee Johnson was elected chair for the second time. “I’m honored,” she said.
Chelsea Harrison will serve as board clerk, and state-appointed county administrator Richard DaVarney was chosen as secretary.
A short summary of the PCOE positive first interim report, previously presented and approved at the Dec. 15 special meeting, concluded the PCOE business.
PUSD fiscal report includes Secure Rural Schools funding
Interim chief business official Stephanie Shatto delivered a summary of the first interim report for PUSD. There was a small positive change to the still-negative report: Secure Rural Schools funding was approved by congress and signed into law by President Trump Dec. 17.
SRS will provide an additional $1.75 million for PUSD in the 2025-26 school year. That includes a sum not paid to the district last year, when the district received only $165,000 of the expected $900,000.
SRS will provide around $3 million in total to Plumas County in 2026. Shatto explained that it will be divided evenly between education and the county road department. The educational portion is then further divided, with 15% going to PCOE, 15% to Feather River College, and the remainder shared between PUSD, Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified School District and Plumas Charter.
While the news is positive, the funding isn’t reliable, and should not be counted toward PUSD’s $9.5 budget deficit, Shatto said. The county still needs to slash costs. For teachers and staff, the threat of potential lay offs looms.
Stuart Clark, vice president of Plumas County Teachers Association, said, “When challenges arise, the response is reactionary, rather than set policy and procedures. We are not asking for money; there isn’t any. We know sunshine <layoff> letters are coming. We want to retain and hire good people. We want a good work environment with forward thinking discussions.”
Other business
Meanwhile, there was plenty on the agenda for the final PUSD meeting of the year. After staff presented reports to the district in November, the board held a public hearing on Plumas Charter School’s application for renewal. There were no comments or objections. DuVarney approved the renewal of the school for five years, from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2031, with an average yearly budget of $5.5 million. The charter’s three learning centers are located in Quincy, Greenville and Chester. Plumas Charter school director Taletha Washburn was present for the hearing.
A tentative agreement has been reached between PUSD and the Plumas County Teachers Association for three fiscal years spanning July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028. Teacher salaries will remain at $22 million with benefits remaining at $8 million for the three years. DuVarney approved the agreement.
In adult education, a new entry-level residential electrical wiring course was approved. The course covers electrical safety, basic electrical theory and the National Electrical Code, with emphasis on practical applications for residential and light industrial work in both new construction and remodeling. Classes will be held at Quincy High School on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. running from Jan. 20 through April 2. Chelsea Harrison, the Chester board member, said that she would like to see classes held in the Chester area in the future.
Finally, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. was granted an easement to install and maintain underground electrical lines on a district property in Greenville. No public comments or objections were raised.
