September 4, 2024 – A meeting between veteran service organizations on September 3rd addressed a significant measure being voted on this November.
Once a month, various organizations that seek to serve veterans within the Central Valley meet to discuss various events going on within the organizations as well as things that impact the local veteran community.
Present at the meeting were groups such as Elks Lodge 2599, the Veterans Employment Committee, Clovis Veterans Memorial District, Cecil Cox American Legion Post 147, among others.
Additionally, the Clovis Unified School District (CUSD) requested to be part of the discussion to present information regarding Measure A, a measure that will be on the Clovis ballot this November.
The measure proposes a $400 million facility bond for CUSD and was presented to representatives of veteran organizations at the meeting by officials from the school board.
Speaking in support of Measure A was CUSD Superintendent Corrine Folmer, who gave a presentation detailing information about the measure and why it is supported by the CUSD Board.
She started out by explaining her history with Clovis Unified, expressing a passion for the school district, saying, “We really want to prioritize the experience for all of our students and maintain what Doc [Buchanan], our founding superintendent, started us on, which is a high quality of education for every student.”
Dr. Floyd B Buchanan founded CUSD in 1960.
Dr. Folmer was quick to address the fact that this bond would not increase the current tax rate but would rather extend the same tax rate that Clovis residents have had since 2012, and that she and other school officials worked hard to ensure that there was no increase.
Additionally, she added that the current tax rate is still lower than neighboring districts, including Selma, Fowler, and Central Fresno, and is lowest than it has ever been in the district’s history.
Dr. Folmer also addressed that since starting out as a small school district, Clovis Unified has grown into the 24th largest district in California, with 34 elementary schools, five intermediate schools, five high schools, one adult school, and six alternative education campuses.
“I was a student in 1986, and thanks to the community here, I got to go be a part of the newer school,” she explained. “But I had to go be part of the newer school at Buchanan because of the commitment that the community had made, and I have seen that lived out as my children have gone to school and many other generations through this district.”
Parts of this measure include finishing Clovis South High School and modernizing buildings to meet facility standards. The modernization of buildings is proposed to fix infrastructure problems, upgrade safety and energy efficiency, and update classrooms and school facilities.
Dr. Folmer stated that many of the buildings within CUSD are more than 30 years old, and “we take pride in working to maintain them, but it also requires an investment to do those things.”
Following the presentation, the meeting was opened to a Q-and-A from the organizations at the meeting, who discussed various aspects of the measure and how it could inform the future of CUSD.
Chris Hoffman from the American Legion expressed that he used to be part of a past program called “Veterans in the Classroom,” in which veterans would visit schools and speak to students about their experiences in the military.
Hoffman said that he has been trying to bring the program back for about three years without success, stating that many schools had turned him down on the opportunity.
“A couple of people have even said, ‘It’s not in our curriculum, so thanks but no thanks,’ and I know that’s not true. The Veterans in the Classroom program gives a different perspective from veterans of history that has happened,” Hoffman said.
In response, Dr. Folmer stated that laws allowing speakers in the classroom have gotten more restrictive. She also offered to exchange contacts with Hoffman to look into it further.
Dr. Folmer and the CUSD officials who sat with her also encouraged individuals to visit the CUSD website to learn more about the measure.
The organizations from the Veterans Roundtable also look forward to their next meeting as well as the upcoming events in and around Clovis.