The Tuesday, June 1, 2021, LASD Board meeting will start its open session at 7:00pm and it will be held using the Zoom webinar platform. To register in advance for the meeting, click here. The entire agenda and supporting documentation for this week's meeting can be found here.
First up, Jeff Baier will present a Recognition of Retiring Employees for their years of service at LASD. We will be sad to see them go, but are happy they get to move onto the next stage of their life. Next, Jeff will give a Reopening Update more focused on the 21-22 school year. This is a discussion item and his presentation can be found under agenda H.1 using the link provided above. LASD plans to be in-person, full days, 5 days a week from day one. LASD expects the school year will look the same as pre-pandemic with exception of following health department requirements for the safety of students and staff. This back to normalcy will include: (1) after school programs, (2) hot lunch, (3) parent volunteers allowed on campus again, (4) community and all school events, and (5) junior high sports, among other things. Then, Sandra McGonagle will present the TK-5 Math Curriculum for adoption. This is an action item and her presentation can be found under agenda H.2. She presented the curriculum to the Board last week at length and thoroughly explained why her staff, 13 of 13 teachers, and 3 out of 4 parents recommended that we adopt the SFUSD math curriculum as LASD's math curriculum for TK-5. I highly recommend you review her presentation from last week (under that agenda's item H.2 here). Teachers across the district, prior to using this curriculum on an emergency basis because of the pandemic, had to piece together their own individual curriculums for problem solving and conceptual understanding because our prior adopted curriculum only focused on computational skills. With the SFUSD curriculum, we will have a uniform curriculum across the district for these parts of "doing math" and we will have other uniform supplements for computational skills. The Board is asked to approve the adoption of SFUSD math curriculum for our TK-5th grade students. Randy will next present the Collective Bargaining Agreement with CSEA. This is an action item and the agreement and supplemental documentation can be found under agenda H.3. The Board is asked is to approve the agreement to bring the same raise given to our teachers, to LASD's staff members for the 21-22 school year. The Citizen's Advisory Committee for Finance (CACF) will then present its Annual Report. This is a discussion item and their presentation can be found under agenda item H.5. The CACF has determined that our current financial situation is generally good with reserves staying above target and stable property tax growth expected, but asks us to be prepared for long term financial risks due to the pandemic and to ease the creep of facility maintenance expenses from the general fund by setting aside $5 million from the Measure N bond funds. Next Randy will present the Budget Review Committee's (BRC) Recommendation regarding the LASD 21/22 Budget and LCAP. This is a discussion item and their one page recommendation can be found under agenda H.6. The BRC recommends that the Board adopt a "workload" budget with no new programs beyond what is required according to state and federal COVID relief funding and have offered ways to ease our expense and increase our revenues. Randy will get a break while Sandra presents her LCP and LCAP 2020-21 Annual Update Public Hearing. This is a discussion item and Sandra's presentation and the Annual Update can be found under agenda item H.7. The update includes LASD's analysis of its goals and measurable outcomes for those goals. Because of the pandemic, not every goal had data to analyze, but that did not stop Sandra from developing a thorough update of the school year. Sandra will then present the Public Hearing for the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) Budget Overview for Parents. This is a discussion item and her presentation and the Budget Overview can be found under agenda item H.8. This is a pro forma document that Sandra must input our data on the monies we receive and how we spend them in educating LASD students with a specific call out on how much spend on our most underserved youth. Sandra will next finish up by presenting her Public Hearing for the 21-22 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) . This is a discussion item and her presentation and the LCAP can be found under agenda item H.9. The LCAP includes LASD's measurable goals for 2021-2024. Those goals include: (1) ensuring all students have access to equitable conditions for learning, (2) All LASD students experiencing high quality instruction that results in equitable outcomes and expected yearly growth, (3) providing tiered supports and systems that promote and sustain strong academic growth and positive social/emotional development for all students, and (4) ensuring a safe, healthy, and respectful school environment to maintain engagement, involvement, and satisfaction of students, staff, and parents. Last, but definitely not least, Randy is back up to present the Public Hearing for the 2021-22 District Budget. This is a discussion item and his presentation and the draft budget can be found under agenda item H.10. The budget relies on the following key assumptions: (1) the county assessor is fairly confident that will see a 4% increase in property tax revenue over the current year, and the same for 22-23 year, (2) BCS will likely get $640,000 of our parcel tax revenues, (3) all COVID monies received are assumed to be one time allotments, (4) the Governor's May Revise includes little to no financial relief for our district (because we are a basic aid/community funded district), (5) LASD expects 6 fewer teachers for next year, and, (6) a 2% contracted for raise for teachers and staff, among many other things. It is a "thrilling" read; I highly recommend you check it out. Please note, this is just the highlights of what is on the agenda for the 6/1/21 meeting. You can inform yourself about the rest of the agenda at the link provided above. As always, feel free to email me with any questions.
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The Monday, May 24, 2021, LASD Board meeting will start its open session at 7:00pm and it will be held using the Zoom webinar platform. To register in advance for the meeting, click here. The entire agenda and supporting documentation for this week's meeting can be found here.
As usual, first up on the agenda, Jeff Baier will present the School Reopening Update. This is a discussion item and his presentation can be found under agenda H.1. I look forward to hearing about how our schools are doing in their continued physical reopening, plans for 8th grade graduations, Summer School update, and what to expect in the 21/22 school year. Next up, Sandra McGonagle will present the TK-5th Grade Math Curriculum Adoption. This is a discussion item and her presentation can be found under agenda item H.2. The Curriculum Council voted 16-1 (13 of 13 teachers, 3 out 4 parents) to recommend the SFUSD curriculum. You should read Sandra's presentation and attend the meeting to learn all about the process to this point and the staff's reasoning for adoption and plans for a thoughtful implementation. It is important to note that this curriculum has already been in use this year as it translated well to virtual, hybrid and in-person learning. This is a discussion item for this board meeting, at the next board meeting, the Board will take action on whether to adopt the curriculum. Then, Randy will present Summer Facilities Projects. This is a discussion item and Randy's presentation can be found under agenda item H.3. Randy is proposing various repairs and improvements to all 9 of our campuses. Jeff will next present a Revision to Board Bylaw 9320 (Meetings and Notices) and a Revised 21-22 Board Meeting Calendar. These are action items and the Bylaw and Calendar can be found under agenda items H.5 and H.6. At the last board meeting, the Board directed staff to change our board meeting calendar to ensure that it does not conflict or conflicts minimally with the MVLA High School District. We have parents that would like to be engaged with both districts but have been forced to choose. The Board is asked to approve both. A whole boatload of Board Policy Updates and Deletions will be presented next by Jeff. These are discussion items and the policy updates and deletions can be found under agenda items H.7 and H.8. The updates and deletions are based on guidance from the California School Boards Association (CSBA). CSBA advises districts on changes to board bylaws and regulations to comport with recent changes in the law. The Board will be asked to approve these updates and deletions at our next meeting. Please note, this is just the highlights of what is on the agenda for the 5/24/21 meeting. You can inform yourself about the rest of the agenda at the link provided above. As always, feel free to email me with any questions. The Monday, May 10, 2021 LASD Board meeting will start its open session at 7:00pm and it will be held using the Zoom webinar platform. To register in advance for the meeting, click here. The entire agenda and supporting documentation for this week's meeting can be found here.
Jeff Baier will first give the Board a School Reopening Update. This is a discussion item and there is no presentation attached under agenda item H.1 as of yet. I look forward to his presentation and learning how our continued physical reopening has been going. Next, Sandra McGonagle will present the Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant Plan. This is an action item and Sandra's presentation and the official grant plan can be found under agenda H.2 using the link provided above. The Board is asked to approve this plan that outlines how LASD will expend grant monies specifically directed at Low Income, English learners, foster youth, homeless students, students at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, disengaged students, and students who are below grade level. The plan includes how LASD will expend such grant monies for these groups of students to:
Then, Randy Kenyon will present our Staff Union's (California School Employees Association) Negotiating Interests for the 2021/22 School Year and LASD's. This is an action item and both ours and the staff union's interests can be found under agenda item H.3. The Board is asked to approve the District's negotiating interests which include compensation and insurance. Randy will then present a Resolution Authorizing the Issuance of Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRAN). This is an action item and the resolution can be found under agenda item H.4. Every Spring the Board is asked to authorize these notes because we incur expenses over the summer before we receive our portion of the property tax revenue from Santa Clara County. This year we are being asked to borrow $25,000,000. Just when Randy though he could get a break, he will have to present a Resolution Authorizing the Issuance and Sale of General Obligation Bond Anticipation Notes. This is an action item and the Resolution and supporting documentation can be found under agenda item H.5. The Board is asked to approve this resolution in order to extend the due date of Bonds we issued to purchase the Development Rights portion of buying the 10th site. Jeff wiIl next present on a need to Change the 2021 Board Committee Appointments. This is an action item and the list of current committee assignments can be found under agenda item H.6. The Board will discuss a change in assignments and will vote on such change. It is my understanding that one Board member needs to change an assignment and we need to officially approve such a change. We will then discuss a Board Meeting Date Change. This is a discussion item and documents with changed dates and change to the by-laws regarding when we meet can be found under agenda item H.7. The Board is asked to give staff direction on whether we want to make a regular board meeting date change. This is precipitated by the fact that the MVLA High School District has its meetings at the same times and days as LASD. Last, but not least, the Board will discuss a City of Los Altos/LASD Schools Subcommittee Meeting. There is not attachment to the agenda for this. The Board is asked to discuss and generate agenda items for the City/Schools meeting which generally includes subjects that pertain both to the schools and the city. Please note, this is just the highlights of what is on the agenda for the 5/10/21 meeting. You can inform yourself about the rest of the agenda at the link provided above. As always, feel free to email me with any questions. |
Jessica SpeiserThanks to your support, I joined the Los Altos School District (LASD) Board of Trustees in December 2016. I finished my tenure as Board President after serving as such from December 2018 to December 2019. I am currently Board Vice President. As usual, I will use this blog to continue updating you on upcoming Board meetings and make you aware of upcoming office hours and community events. Archives
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