The Poway Unified School District held its monthly board meeting on Monday.

Here are some of the highlights:

• State Budget Update: Next year's budget shortfall above reserves will be about $7.5 million, not $11 million as expected and announced at January's board meeting, PUSD Superintendent John Collins said. 
• VFW Teacher of the Year: The board recognized Rancho Bernardo High School teacher and coach Jeff Carpenter—also known as Coach Carp—for being named the VFW Post 7766 Teacher of the Year. "While Jeff is a fantastic educator, it is as a mentor where he truly shines," Collins quoted from a letter nominating Carpenter for the award. The superintendent, who used to work with the teacher as a principal, said he is a "wonderful teacher" and seconded the high words of praise from the nomination letters. VFW Post 7766 Commander Donald Schmidt and Vice Commander Dave Epstein were on hand to congratulate Carpenter.
• Union Contract: The board unanimously approved an initial contract proposal for the Poway School Employees Association, the union which represents non-teachers such as office clerks. The district proposal calls for a continuation of a 4 percent salary cut through 2015 and an accompanying eight "rollback" days. The union's proposal asks for a restoration of the paycut.
• Career Tech and Yoga for P.E.: (First reading) Officials are considering adding yoga as a physical education course, taught by a P.E. teacher. The person would not need to be certified as a yoga instructor, they said. Also, as soon as this fall, students could be taking a series of new and revised classes in six different career tracks:
  • 3D Computer Animation: All high schools.
  • Broadcast Journalism, TV production; Poway, Rancho Bernardo and Mount Carmel high schools. Could be offered at all.
  • Computer Graphic Arts: All high schools.
  • Digial Media: All high schools.
  • Fire Science and First Responder: Mount Carmel High School.
  • Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering: Rancho Bernardo, Poway and Del Norte high schools.