LATA Agreement, Professional Learning, Parcel Tax Polling, and More!

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The Monday, April 3, 2023, LASD Board meeting will start its open session at 7:00pm and contemporaneous public comments may only be made in person in the LASD Board Room. If you plan to participate in person, follow county guidelines as they relate to masking. We will continue to use the Zoom webinar platform for community members to follow our meetings at home, but public comment will not be allowed on it. If you cannot attend in person, and have a comment that you would like the LASD Board to consider in its decision making, please email all of us at [email protected] by 5pm on Saturday, 4/1/23.  To register to watch the board meeting from the comfort of your home, click here.  The entire agenda and supporting documentation for this week's meeting can be found here.

Before we get started with regular business, representatives from from Loyola School will give the Board a presentation on the project based learning happening on their campus.

First up, Superintendent Sandra McGonagle will present the Collective Bargaining Agreement with LATA (Los Altos Teacher's Association) and a Disclosure of the Proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement and its financial impact on LASD's bottom line.   This is an action item and the agreement and financial impact documentation can be found under ​agenda item I.1 and I.2.  The Board is asked to approve the agreement our LASD and LATA negotiating teams came to for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 school years.  Among other negotiated terms LASD teachers will receive a 6% raise for this school year and the next.  The financial impact on LASD is not great, but it is one LASD can shoulder.    

Next, Greg Drummond of the Curriculum and Instruction Department will present on how Professional Learning is going in LASD. This is a discussion item and his presentation can be found under agenda I.3.  Over this school year (and prior to its start), LASD teachers have participated in (1) Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Inclusion Training, (2) Professional Learning Communities, (3) Twig Science Curriculum Launch, and (4) Enhanced Job Embedded Learning.  

Then, representatives from TeamCivX and EMC research will present Parcel Tax Survey Results for a proposed LASD parcel tax.  This is a discussion item and their presentation can be found under agenda item I.4.  Right now, results show that support for a measure to renew LASD's parcel tax with a modest increase is just above the 2/3rds threshold requirement to pass.  Attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers, quality academics and neighborhood schools are important priorities that the polling showed drive support for the parcel tax.   

Claire Griffin will next give the Board a Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC) Update.  This is an action item and her presentation and an MOU with CHAC can be found under agenda item I.5.  LASD contracts with CHAC to provided mental health services at all of our elementary schools.  The presentation outlines the proposed amount of CHAC therapists and how many hours for each school in the next school year and the financial impact.      

Erik Walukiewicz will then present 10th Site Building Design Comparisons.  This is a discussion item and the presentation can be found under agenda item I.6.  Erik's presentation describes what Stick Built, Modular, and Prefabricated Construction is, and the pros and cons of each as it relates to design flexibility, permitting, cost and schedule, quality, environmental concerns, and procurement. 

Next, Erik will present a Resolution for a Local Zoning Exemption. This is an action item and the resolution can be found under agenda item I.7.  The resolution is a bureaucratic step we must take as it relates to the 10th site.  If the Board passes this resolution, it exempts itself from Mountain View City zoning and construction rules.  As a school district, all construction for education purposes are subject to the Division of State Architect (DSA) and not the city in which the school resides.  This formalizes that relationship. 

Then, Erik will present and request an Approval of 2022-23 and 2023-24 LASD Transportation Plan.  This is an action item and the plan and Erik's memorandum in support of such can be found under agenda item I.8.  If the Board were to approve this plan, the District would be eligible for ongoing state Home to School Transportation funding. 

Just when you thought Erik would get a break, he will next present a Lease Agreement with Community Services Agency (CSA). This is an action item and the lease can be found under agenda item I.9.  This lease agreement is for CSA to rent out what used to be Joann Fabrics on LASD's 10th site while they renovate their current facility in another part of Mountain View.  CSA connects and supplies our most economically impacted citizens in Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View with much needed services and food. 

Last, but definitely not least, the Board has another round of Board Policy Updates to discuss.  The Board Policies can be found under agenda items I.10. 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.

Please note, this is just the highlights of what is on the agenda for the 4/3/23 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.