Summer School, Back to School, Universal Meals, and BCS

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The Monday, August 22, 2022, 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, wearing a mask is recommended in accordance with CDPH guidelines. 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, 8/20/22.  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.

First up on the agenda, Superintendent Sandra McGonagle will give a School Opening Update.  This is a discussion item and her presentation can be found under agenda item H.1.  The beginning of this school year was marked by a return to normalcy with back to school community events planned for all schools and students so happy to see one another again.  

Next, Dr. Carrie Bosco and Greg Drummond will present a Spring Student Data Review.  This is a discussion item and their presentation can be found under agenda item H.2.  The presentation outlines reading level scores for students in grades K-8 at the close of the school year with some comparison data (showing improvement) as to how they started in the Fall.  

Then, Carrie will introduce Claire Griffin to give a Summer Academy Report.  This is a discussion item and her presentation can be found under agenda item H.3.  At its high water mark, the Summer Academy had 148 students enrolled.  Students got more tailored instruction in reading and writing, math, and STEM, and, were offered free after school care.  Parents received communications of their student's progression and their principals for the 22/23 school year received a progress update for each students.  There were great strides made by the students, but we do not currently have an apples to apples data comparison as of yet.

Eric Walukiewicz (pronounced Wall ohh kev itch) will next present a Food Services Update.  This is a discussion item and his presentation can be found under agenda item H.4. Thanks to a mandate and some funding from the State of California,  LASD and all CA public schools are starting off the school year with with free breakfasts and lunches.  As LASD did not have the infrastructure, we sourced the provision of meals to an outside vendor, renovated our kitchens to create serveries this summer to serve meals according to state code, and hired and trained new staff and volunteers across the district to hand out the meals. 

Carrie will then give a Curriculum & Instruction Summer Update.  This is a discussion item and her presentation can be found under agenda item H.5.  One big update is that we have a new Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction: Dr. Carrie Bosco!  During the summer our teachers and staff participated in a whole host of professional development opportunities,  including, but not limited to, learning about best instructional methods in reading and writing and math, prepping TK teachers on the new state pedagogical requirements, and training teachers on LASD's newly adopted science curriculum (Twig). 

Next, the Board is asked to Consider to Adopt Findings and Ratify Amendments to a Joint Use Agreement with Stepping Stones Preschool.  This is an action item and the amendments can be found under agenda items H.6 and H.7.  The Board is asked to approve these amendments to our lease agreement with Stepping Stones Preschool that is located on the Covington Elementary School campus.  The first (second to agreement) amendment extends a prior agreement until 8/31/22 (end of this month).  The other amendment extends the agreement to 10/31/22 to allow both parties time to negotiate a longer agreement.  

Last, but definitely not least, the Board is asked to approve a Second Addendum to the Agreement Between Los Altos School District and Bullis Charter School for a Two-Year Charter School Facilities Solution.  This is an action item and the Addendum the Board is asked to approve can be found under agenda item H.8.  LASD's agreement with BCS was set to expire on June 30, 2023.  This addendum would extend the agreement to June 30, 2025.  The only other material change is that it gives BCS the right to ask for additional space and for us to negotiate the same if the need arises.  It is important to note, without this addendum, a Prop 39 process would start on November 1, 2022 with a facilities request from BCS.   

Please note, this is just the highlights of what is on the agenda for the 8/22/22 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.