Burbank Unified School District

A Burbank Unified School District teacher turned herself in Monday for having sex with a 14-year-old student from March to September last year, police said. Amy Beck, 33, a sixth-grade teacher at Jordan Middle School, surrendered Monday afternoon to Burbank police with her lawyer, and was being held on $400,000 bail, Burbank Police Sgt. Robert Quesada said. “We’re still trying to piece everything together, what happened, where, what kind of sex acts, how many, and how long it’s been going on,” he said.

DOWNTOWN — Burbank Fire Chief Tracy Pansini announced plans to retire Feb. 20, with Assistant Fire Chief Ray Krakowski expected to take over the department in March, officials said Wednesday. Pansini, a 30-year veteran of the department who considered himself an “in-the-trenches guy,” has been out on medical leave since June. Officials would not comment on the nature of the leave, citing the chief’s right to privacy. “The time came to step back and take a hard look at things.

DOWNTOWN — Burbank Fire Chief Tracy Pansini on Wednesday announced plans to retire effective Feb. 20, with longtime Battalion Chief Ray Krakowski expected to take over the department in March, officials said. Pansini, a 30-year veteran of the department who considered himself an “in-the-trench guy,” has been out on medical leave since June. Officials would not comment on the nature of the leave, citing the chief’s right to privacy. “I want to personally thank city leaders, both current and former, for all the opportunities that were afforded to me during my tenure with the city,” Pansini wrote in a letter to officials announcing his plans.

WEST BURBANK — School officials Thursday laid the groundwork for a possible parcel tax as four competing consulting firms presented their plans for winning the public over. The Burbank Unified School District took no action on the proposals, but invited the four companies back to present their qualifications and strategies to manage potential parcel tax and bond extension campaigns. Members are expected to make a decision in January whether they will pursue a bond extension, parcel tax or both for a municipal election in April or November 2011.

WEST BURBANK — The Burbank Unified School District confirmed Supt. Kevin Jolly’s resignation Monday, announcing that the top administrator would finish out a year on the job before stepping down June 30. In a statement released late Monday night, school board President Dave Kemp said Jolly “brought passion, energy and progressive ideas in his time with the district.” But, that as Burbank Unified faced major challenges in the months ahead, “the district’s focus must be forward-looking and on ensuring that a leadership team and structure is in place that is able to guide the district through this critical transitional period.

WEST BURBANK — Joel Shapiro, deputy superintendent of Burbank Unified School District, will leave to head up South Pasadena Unified School District on Dec. 7. Shapiro is entering his 38th year in education and leaves Burbank Unified after more than five years. “It is really an exciting challenge, particularly in this day and age, to take on the challenge of being a superintendent,” he said. “It’s also something I undertake knowing how much I’m going to miss Burbank, especially all the people I worked with.

Last year, when the Burbank Unified School District made the hard decision to lay off 34 teachers in an effort to help bridge the gap between expenses and state funding cuts, it was a stark reminder of just how dependent schools are on the whims — and poor management — of Sacramento. With the governor’s office renewing threats this week of even further cuts this winter, districts throughout the state are again beginning to see pink in terms of slips, and red in terms of budget forecasts.