The rumors were true: Paul Turnbull, an assistant superintendent at the K-12 Santa Barbara School Districts, will leave the district for the top job at the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District, officials announced Friday.
Earlier this week, Santa Barbara schools Superintendent Brian Sarvis had confirmed rumors that Turnbull might leave the district to replace the retiring superintendent in Santa Ynez, Fred Van Leuven.
“Mr. Turnbull was selected from an outstanding field of candidates,” said board president Joe Dugan in a statement Friday. “He has demonstrated the ability to build on the strengths of a school community by providing vision, leadership, and inspiration.”
Established in 1896, the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District serves 1,200 students from the Ballard, Buellton Union, College, Los Olivos, Solvang, and Vista del Mar Union elementary school districts. The district is comprised of a comprehensive high school, a continuation high school, and an independent study program.
Non-Profit Leaders Gather To Help Cash-Strapped Mental Health Dept.
Santa Barbara County—Local leaders of non-profit agencies have formed an association to help fix the financial mess that is the Santa Barbara County Department of Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services department.
The nine leaders of non-profit mental health and housing agencies gathered Wednesday in response to the County Board of Supervisors’ Tuesday decision to provide a $2.3 million partial bailout to help bridge the department’s $7 million budget gap.
The board decided to hold off on providing full restoration until the Department of Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services comes up with a viable plan for budget cuts. ADMHS will have a chance to present such a report March 11.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday the nine leaders formed a temporary coalition called the Association of Local Leaders for Community Mental Health, or ALL for CMH.
“Our objective is to encourage dramatic improvement in ADMHS and increased efficiency of mental health services and housing supports,” said one of the members, Annmarie Cameron, Executive Director of the Mental Health Association in Santa Barbara. “Mobilized community-based services can actually decrease overall costs if clients’ needs are met before expensive emergency services are required.”
Additional Board of Supervisor authorization for funding is tied to performance thresholds in planning for the upcoming 2008-2009 fiscal year budget. ALL for CMH believes these measures can be met and services can be maintained through a restructuring of the service delivery system focused on bringing treatment and support to the community. The group is committed to a focused purpose of collaborating with ADMHS in this effort.
The other members are:
* Cindy Burton, President/CEO, Work Training Programs, Inc.
* Barry Schoer, CEO, Sanctuary Psychiatric Centers
* Jill Bolster-White, Executive Director, Transitions – Mental Health Association
* Mike Foley, Executive Director, Casa Esperanza Homeless Shelter
* Sylvia Barnard, Executive Director, Good Samaritan Homeless Shelter
* Rob Pearson, Executive Director/CEO, Housing Authority of City of Santa Barbara
* Kathryn Byrne, Executive Director, Community Housing Corporation
* Bill Batty, Executive Director, Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara