LASD Board Highlights

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If you missed the May 24 meeting, you can view the video here. You can view the June 1 meeting video here.

Superintendent Baier provided updates on school reopening at both meetings. While there was one identified case of COVID-19 the week of May 17, cases have continued to remain rare and isolated. As more people are vaccinated and public health requirements are relaxed, we thank the community for remaining vigilant by tracking symptoms and staying home when feeling sick.

Summer School Update

LASD expanded its invitations to summer school this year to ensure students requiring additional academic support will have the opportunity to hone their skills to ensure they are prepared for the next grade level. Invitations to summer school were based on district-wide academic assessments.

Preparing for the 2021-22 School Year

LASD is preparing for a full reopening of our schools beginning on the first day of school on August 18. Our plans include:

• All grade levels and all schools open 5 days per week, with a schedule like the pre-pandemic school day

• After school programs

• Hot lunch

• Parent volunteers

• Community and school-based events

• Junior High sports

Student Mental Health and Social-Emotional Support

This school year has been unusually challenging for all, and especially for our students. To ensure we support our students' mental health needs, we are working with our partners at CHAC to provide an art-based mental health program for all students at all grade levels.

Ongoing Academic Assessment

Our students participated in academic assessments in reading and math last month. The Board will receive a report regarding student performance and how it compares to prior school years at the next Board meeting on June 8. In addition to these Spring assessments, our teachers and staff will continue to assess student performance in the Fall to ensure we adequately support students who need it, and provide additional challenges to those who excel. Please join us for the next Board meeting for more information.

For more information, check out item H.1 on our agenda online from May 24 and June 1.

To ensure all students in our elementary grades receive a consistent math education that challenges them to meet the highest standards, the LASD Board received information and held a public hearing on a new mathematics curriculum. The Board voted unanimously to adopt the new mathematics curriculum at its June 1 meeting.

The adoption of the new math curriculum will not change mathematics course offerings or accelerated mathematics programs in LASD.

Prior to the pandemic, there was a lack of alignment around math instruction across grade levels and schools, leading to inconsistent student outcomes. For that reason, LASD evaluated its math curriculum to better align instruction across the district at the elementary level.

A curriculum council of teachers, staff, parents and administrators from LASD evaluated the new curriculum and student outcomes though a pilot program in 2019-2020. During the pandemic, elementary teachers across the district began using the new curriculum to great success.

The new mathematics curriculum--developed in partnership with mathematics instructional experts and the San Francisco Unified School District--was adopted due to LASD's student performance data for its strength in teaching problem solving and conceptual understanding, in addition to computational and procedural skills. The new mathematics curriculum will be implemented in the upcoming school year.

For more information, please view item H.2. from the May 24 meeting and our June 1 meeting on our agenda online.

The Citizens' Advisory Committee for Finance (CACF) comprises local residents and school district parents who are charged with overseeing long-term district financial issues. CACF evaluates facilities needs, monitors expenditures of parcel tax funds, and makes recommendations on major, long-term financial decisions to the Board of Trustees.

The CACF report showed a school district that is currently in a strong financial position. Stable property tax revenues and a flattening student enrollment are keeping the district in good financial shape. The committee recommended taking advantage of COVID relief funding from state and local governments to ensure continued student success by filling any needs for additional academic support this summer and into the next school year. Facilities maintenance is impacting the budget, driving a need to consider capital improvements to mitigate ongoing costs. CACF recommended exploring a dedicated fund for facilities improvements. The fiscal outlook in property tax revenue currently appears positive due to the current strength of the real estate market.

For more information, please review item H.5. from the June 1 meeting.

The LCAP is a three-year plan that describes the goals, actions, services, and expenditures to support positive student outcomes that address state and local priorities. The LCAP provides an opportunity for public school districts like LASD to share their stories of how, what, and why programs and services are selected to meet their local needs. Each year, the district engages in a process of stakeholder engagement to seek input on the LCAP from diverse parent groups and students.

The public hearing on three elements of the LCAP were held at the June 1 meeting of the LASD Board of Trustees. These include the LCAP & LCP Annual Update, the LCFF Budget Overview and the Local Control and Accountability Plan.

To review these items please check out items H.7, H.8 and H.9. on the June 1 meeting agenda online.

The next regular meeting of the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees will take place on Tuesday, June 8 at 7:00pm via Zoom. To attend the meeting please visit our Board web page and register for the meeting using the provided link. The link will be posted on Thursday at 5:00pm the week prior to each meeting.

If you would like to stay updated regarding upcoming Board meetings, please email mbirnie@lasdschools.org, providing your name, email address and a request to be added to the email list for Brown Act updates, including upcoming meetings and agendas.

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