The Monday, October 4, 2021, LASD Board meeting will start its open session at 7:00pm and public participation will continue to happen using the Zoom webinar platform. The LASD Board will be meeting physically together following COVID safe protocols in the LASD Board Room. 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 on the agenda, Jeff Baier will give a Remote Public Meeting Update. This is a discussion item and his presentation can be found under agenda H.1. In March 2020, the Governor declared a state of emergency and executed an Executive Order allowing for suspension of certain Brown Act requirements, thus allowing for remote meetings. AB 361 suspends and supplants that Executive Order. AB 361 allows for remote meetings and same suspensions of the Brown Act that the Executive Order allowed WHEN (1) a state of emergency has been declared AND (2) one of the following has happened: (A) state or local officials recommend social distancing measures, or (B) local agency (LASD BOARD) determines meeting in person would present "imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees." On September 21, 2021, Santa Clara County Public Health Department recommended that public bodies continue to meet remotely and the State of California is still in a state of emergency, therefore, LASD Board meetings will continue to operate with remote participation. Next up on the agenda, Randy Kenyon will present a 10th Site Master Planning Update. This a discussion item and his presentation can be found under agenda item H.2. Randy will present to the Board a progress report on the master planning done so far between LASD and Mountain View City Staff, specifically focused on the mutually agreed upon location of exclusive use City of Mountain View park purchased by Mountain View as part of the land deal when LASD purchased the 10th Site. Staff from LASD and Mountain View consulted with city stakeholders from Planning, Parks and Recreation and the Public Works Department. Mountain View and LASD staff agreed to a couple key principles for the site layout when determining where the city park should be placed.
With those key principles in mind, there was only one site for the 2 acre park that met that criteria. Please read the presentation and watch our board meeting to hear more. Then, Jeff will present a Santa Clara Office of Education (SCCOE) Letter of Concern to Bullis Charter School Update. This is a discussion item and Jeff's presentation can be found under agenda item H.3. On May 21, 2021, the SCCOE sent BCS a Notice of Concern Letter that stated they determined that "BCS is demonstrably unlikely" to meet the requirement of their charter renewal because "BCS is not serving all pupils who wish to attend." In that same letter the SCCOE warns BCS that if they "fail to cure the violations set forth in this Notice ..., the SCCOE may deny BCS's renewal." In order to remedy the violation the SCCOE requires BCS to develop, submit, and implement a corrective action plan with details and explanations on how the plan will remedy their violations. On 10/6 BCS will present a proposal to the SCCOE to add a secondary preference, behind siblings of BCS students who reside in LASD, to “children who qualify for free and reduced priced meals and reside with the boundaries of the Los Altos School District, limited to 10% of the total openings at each grade level” and a seventh priority to that same group that reside outside of LASD, but within California. The Board is asked to discuss our responses to these developments. Last, but not least, the Board has another round of Board Policy Updates to discuss. The Board Policies can be found under agenda H.4. As stated in prior updates, the California School Boards Association (CSBA) frequently advises local school districts on updates and deletions to board policies, bylaws and regulations based on recent changes to Federal and California state law and regulations and our Board is gradually going through a backlog of such updates. Please note, this is just the highlights of what is on the agenda for the 10/4/21 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, September 20, 2021, LASD Board meeting will start its open session at 7:00pm and public participation will continue to happen using the Zoom webinar platform. The LASD Board will be meeting physically together following COVID safe protocols in the LASD Board Room. 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, Laura Wiley, the Summer Academy Principal, will give us a Summer Academy Report. This is a discussion item and her presentation can be found under agenda item H.1 using the link provided above. The Summer Academy was LASD's new version of summer school. It was focused on filling in the achievement gap of its participants in the areas in which they were struggling. In total, 260 students were invited in several waves based on need, with a total of 155 students committing to attendance in the program. I look forward to this presentation to learn more about a student's average day and hear any preliminary results we may have of the student's and teacher's efforts. Next, Jeff Baier will give a School Operations Update. This is a discussion item and his presentation can be found under agenda item H.2. Of note, the COVID pooled testing starts next week with only 65% of students committed to participating (you can still sign your student up for testing, but a quick enrollment turnaround is not guaranteed). With pooled testing, comes "response" testing for those participants in classes/pools that test positive. Only those those students enrolled in the pool testing can participate in the response testing. LASD has also partnered with the MVLA High School District for LASD students to have access to PCR testing at MVHS and LAHS. Staff is also recommending some modifications to the LASD outdoor mask mandate including allowing after school programs to institute and manage their own COVID protocols, allowing Junior High athletic leagues to determine their own sports COVID protocols, and to allow more flexibility in masking in PE classes. The Board is asked to give direction regarding these recommendations. Then, Sandra McGonagle will give an Independent Study Update. This is a discussion item and Sandra's presentation can be found under agenda H.3. State laws, prioritizing a return to in person learning above all else, instituted new Independent Study requirements in the time of COVID only allowing such when a parent certifies that their student going to school would be a health risk. This replaces last year's virtual school and is nothing like it. We currently have 21 participants in the Independent Study Program that we have outsourced to Stride K12 and 12 of those students are new to LASD students. We are generally getting good feedback from students/families participating in it, but it is not without its challenges and is definitely not as good as learning in person. Sandra will next present the Textbook Certification and Sufficiency of Instructional Materials. The resolution that the Board is asked to approve can be found under agenda item H.5. This a yearly requirement the District must complete to ensure and assure that each student in the district is provided with sufficient textbooks and instructional materials. Jeff Baier will then lead a discussion of Board Meeting Protocols with the Governor's Emergency Order allowing for our Zoom meetings set to expire on 10/1/21. This is a discussion item and his presentation can be found under agenda H.6. Staff wants direction from the Board on how we would like to proceed with in-person meetings after the expiration of the Governor's order. To put it another way, starting on 10/1/21 LASD must meet in person and must allow physical public participation where we meet. The question the Board must answer is whether we should have some sort of option for remote engagement and how we manage the in person participation in a COVID safe manner. Last, but not least, the Board has another round of Board Policy Updates and Deletions to discuss. The Board Policies and Deletions can be found under agenda H.7 and H.8. As stated in prior updates, the California School Boards Association (CSBA) frequently advises local school districts on updates and deletions to board policies, bylaws and regulations based on recent changes to California state law and regulations and our Board is gradually going through a backlog of such updates. Please note, this is just the highlights of what is on the agenda for the 9/20/21 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, September 13, 2021, LASD Special Board meeting will start at 7:00pm and public participation will continue to happen using the Zoom webinar platform. The LASD Board will be meeting physically together following COVID safe protocols in the LASD Board Room. 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, Randy Kenyon will present a Financial Update with LASD's 20/21 Unaudited Actual Revenues and Expenditures. This is an action item and his presentation and the unaudited financials can be found under agenda item C.1 using the link provided above. The Board is asked to approve these financials to be submitted to the County Board of Education by 9/15 (and is the reason we are having this special meeting). The update shows the District is in a much better financial position than expected. Randy posits our difference in position can be attributed to his budgeting conservatively regarding both expenses (expecting more) and revenues (expecting less) and the uncertainty involved in planning in COVID times. Furthermore, expenses that would normally come out of the District's general fund were paid for by COVID relief monies (be them Federal or State). Next up, Randy will present the Annual Developer Fee Report. This is a discussion item and his report can be found under agenda item C.2. Every year the state requires school districts to file an annual report of the income received from developers fees and how those fees are expended by the district. Please note, this is just the highlights of what is on the agenda for the 9/13/21 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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