LASD Board Highlights

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If you missed the meeting, you can view the video here. The highlights of the meeting are below.

In February of this year, the Board unanimously approved a board policy making explicit the district’s commitment to equity in public education. It states: "In order to eradicate institutional bias of any kind, including implicit or unintentional biases and prejudices that affect student achievement, and to eliminate disparities in educational outcomes for students from historically underserved and underrepresented populations, the district shall proactively identify class and cultural biases as well as practices, policies, and institutional barriers that negatively influence student learning, perpetuate achievement gaps, and impede equal access to opportunities for all students."

The Board committed to regularly monitoring the intent and impact of these policies to ensure it is always working to close the achievement gap; providing professional development to eliminate implicit or unintentional biases; and delivering curriculum that addresses institutional and historical prejudice.

In its discussion to review the newly adopted policy in light of recent race-related killings and ensuing protests, Board members suggested edits to strengthen and improve the impact of the policy.

The Board invites its community to review the equity policy and provide feedback. Please email comments or questions to trustees@lasdschools.org or join the Board for its next meeting on June 22, when it will adopt the revised policy.

In addition, the Board reaffirmed the content of its June 2 letter to the community regarding its commitment to ensure all LASD students understand the injustices people of color face every day and work with them to build a more just world together.

For more information, check out item H.1. on the agenda online.

Superintendent Baier shared progress regarding the district's planning process for the 2020-21 school year. The team of teachers, administrators and staff have been evaluating a variety of instructional models or scenarios for the upcoming school year. The Board, administrators and our educational team agree with our community that we must do all that we can to safely bring students back to our campuses to learn in classrooms with their teachers and peers. Given that public health guidelines may very likely prevent us from bringing all students back to campus on a daily basis, our efforts are focused on providing a hybrid model that would involve some Virtual School and some in-classroom time.

The Board will review a draft plan at its June 22 meeting. The public is invited to join the meeting to ask questions and provide feedback. Santa Clara County will provide its guidance to school districts on July 1. With the public's input and guidance from our public health officials, the Board plans to approve a final plan on July 6. We will keep you updated regarding the timing and information to participate in these meetings.

For more information, please check out item H.2. on our agenda online.

The Board unanimously approved the state mandated 2019-20 COVID-19 Operations Report. The report provides an overview explaining the changes to program offerings that the Los Altos School District has made in response to school closures to address the COVID-19 emergency and the major impacts of the closures on students and families. To review the report, click here.

The Board unanimously approved the 2020-21 Annual Budget. LASD is required to adopt a budget by June 30, yet with so much fiscal uncertainty, the budget will need to be revised in coming months as more information is known. For now, the 2020-21 budget maintains the current educational program and spending levels.

The district anticipates a decline in revenues from state and local sources beginning in the 2020-21 fiscal year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure financial stability, Mr. Kenyon suggested that finding cost savings now will help mitigate the need for even more substantial cuts in the future. The Board will consider revising the budget in September once more economic data is available. To review the approved budget and presentation, check out item H.4. on the agenda online.

The Board unanimously approved the Measure N Citizen Oversight Report, which verified that Measure N Bond Fund expenditures during the 2018–19 fiscal year were made in accordance with the voter-approved bond measure spending requirements. To review the report, check out item H.5. on the agenda online.

The next meeting of the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees will take place on Monday, June 22 at 7:00pm via Zoom. To attend the meeting please visit our Board web page and register for the meeting using the provided link.

Additional Board meetings are scheduled for June 29, and provisionally for July 6, 13 and 27, to ensure there is ample time to discuss and receive community feedback regarding the instructional plans for the 2020-21 school year as conditions evolve.

Website: www.lasdschools.org
Location: 201 Covington Road
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LASDK8/