SIMI VALLEY: BRIEFLY : TWO WOMEN NAMED TO JUDICIAL COUNCIL.

VENTURA - Ventura Superior Court Judge Melinda Johnson and Ventura County Courts Executive Officer Sheila Gonzalez have been appointed to the state Judicial Council.

The council works to improve the administration of justice, dealing with policy issues affecting California's 174 state courts, such as state court funding and reform of the jury system. There are 21 members of the council and six advisory members, representing various levels of the state judicial branch.

Chief Justice Ronald George appointed Johnson as a voting member of the council. Gonzalez was appointed as an advisory member. They were appointed for two-year terms that run through Sept. 15, 1998.

SOURCE: - Daily News

Simi school board OKs 60 new hires

SIMI VALLEY - School officials plan to hire up to 60 teachers to reduce class sizes in the first and second grades by the time school starts in the fall, officials said.

At a school board meeting Tuesday night, Simi Valley Unified School District trustees voted unanimously to make the new hires in order to shrink class sizes to 20 students under a statewide class reduction plan.

Because the district will begin with grades one and two, about 60 teachers will need to be hired, with additional teachers to be hired when the program is implemented in kindergarten classes, officials said.

The district will receive about $2.7 million under Gov. Pete Wilson's class size reduction bill, which provides $771 million to schools statewide.

The legislation seeks to achieve a maximum 20-1 pupil-to-teacher ratio in kindergarten through third grade. The money is available to reduce class sizes in up to three grade levels per district.

SOURCE: - Daily News