Community Engagement Process and Back to Business

The 5/28/19 closed session begins at 5:30pm. The board will reconvene for open session starting around 7pm in the LASD Board Room.  The entire agenda and supporting documentation can be found here.  

Every year, representatives from each LASD school present at a board meeting.  Santa Rita, led by Principal Greg Land, will share how they are "creating peak moments" throughout the school. 

We have a long list of action and discussion items this week.  We have run of the mill end of school year business mixed in with other business that is more unique to this year.  It will be a long night, but we will plow through thoughtfully and expeditiously.

First off, we will have Jennifer Keicher, LASD's Director of Special Education, present a Special Education Program Update regarding the variety of programs serving the different learning needs of district children.  I look forward to her presentation. 

Next, Mr. Kenyon and members of Citizens Advisory Committee for Finance (CACF) will present their Annual Report.  This is a discussion item and no action will be taken.  The presentation can be found under agenda item I.2 using the link above.  That being said, in the short term, CACF highly recommends:

1. LASD stops deficit spending in the 2019-20 school year (that is, make sure the 19/20 school year budget does not include or project any deficit spending).
2. The Board immediately establish a Building Repair & Replacement Sinking Fund using Measure N bond funds (therefore easing impact on the general fund every summer to the tune of at least $300,000 a year).  

Then, Randy will Disclose the Proposed Collective Bargaining Agreements with LATA and CSEA.  These are discussion items and the disclosures can be found under agenda items I.3 and I.4.  I believe, both unions tentatively agreed to no raise for the current school year.  The teacher's union (LATA) has tentatively agreed to a 2.5% salary increase for the 19/20 school year and the staff union (CSEA) has tentatively agreed to a 2% salary increase for the 19/20 school year.  The disclosures lay out the financial impact the salary increases in the 19/20 school year will have LASD's bottom line. 

Next, Mr. Baier and a representative from MIG will present the Community Engagement Proposal focused on facilitating a public process for a long term facilities solution for Bullis Charter School and the entire District.  This is an action item and the proposal can be found under agenda item I.5.  The proposal is well worth a read.  The engagement process proposed is unlike anything I have seen the District do in the past and I believe it will lead us to solution a majority of the community can get behind.  Furthermore, the engagement process will afford the entire community, if they so engage themselves, to have input.  The Board is asked to approve the engagement proposal so that work can start as soon as possible in preparation of full engagement when school starts back up in late summer.  

Mr. Kenyon will next present Resolution #18/19-16, Establishing a Reconstituted Facilities Master Plan Advisory Committee for Implementation of the Measure N Bond Program.  This is an action item and the resolution can be found under agenda item I.6.  The Board is asked to approve this resolution to get a Facilities Master Plan Advisory Committee in place for when bonds authorized by the passage of Measure N are finally issued.  The committee is a requirement of bond.  This resolution would reconstitute the committee and outlines the framework and makeup of the committee.  

Next up, Randy will present the Summer Facilities Projects on tap across the District.  This is a discussion item and Randy's presentation can be found under agenda item I.7.  Projects include the placement of portables at Egan for BCS and routine maintenance across the District. 

If Randy thinks he is going to ever sit down, he is grossly mistaken.  He next gets to present the Budget Review Committee's Recommendations. This is a discussion item and their recommendations can be found under agenda item I.8.  These recommendations outline cost saving measures the Board could implement in order to not head into deficit spending in the next school year.  

Lastly, Jeff will present Resolution #18/19-17, Charter School Reform.  This is an action item and the resolution can be found under agenda item I.9.  The Board is asked to consider adopting this resolution in support of several State Assembly Bills (AB 1505, 1506, 1507) and one Senate Bill (SB 756), all involving charter school reform.  Here are synopses of those bills that I found in this article:

• AB 1505:  This law, in its current state, would do away with state and county appeals for denied charter applications and give local school districts the sole power to authorize charters in CA. The bill would also give school districts more autonomy over approving or denying a charter, including allowing them to consider a charter's financial impact on their budgets.  This bill has passed in the Assembly and has moved on to the State Senate.  
• AB 1506:  This law would create state and local caps on the number of charter schools. The caps for districts and the statewide total would be determined by the number of charters operating by the end of 2019.  This bill was passed in the Education and Appropriations subcommittees of the Assembly and has had two readings in the full Assembly.  
• AB 1507: The bill requires charters to be located within the boundaries of the school district that authorized them.  This bill has passed in the Assembly and has moved onto the State Senate.  
• SB 756: This law would not allow new charter schools to be authorized for two years unless the Legislature passes charter reforms proposed in the above bills by the end of this two-year legislative session. This bill has been passed in the Education and Appropriations subcommittees of the State Senate and has been read twice on the Senate Floor.  

Please note, this is just the highlights of what is on the agenda for the 5/28/2019 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.