LASD Board Highlights

October 4, 2021 Meeting Summary

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Board Meeting Videos

If you missed the October 4 meeting, you can view the video here.

Survey: Allocating COVID Relief Funding for Our Schools

The US Department of Education is providing an additional $122 Billion for schools with emergency relief funds to address the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Los Altos School District is allocated $693,243. LASD must spend at least 20% (approx. $54.5K) of the allocation to address learning loss.

Please click here to provide your input on our survey to determine how these funds are used to best serve our students.

The learning loss plan will align with LASD's Extended Learning Opportunity grant and Local Control and Accountability Plan and must include:

Funds allocated to address the academic impact of lost instructional time using evidence-based interventions
Interventions that respond to the social, emotional, and academic needs of all students
Interventions implemented to address students' needs

The next step for the Los Altos School District is to develop a budget for these funds (called ESSER lll funds) through consultation and engagement with district stakeholders like you!

Please assist us in determining the best use of these funds to maximize the educational experience for students in LASD by responding to the short survey.

Update: Santa Clara County Office of Education Notice of Concern to Bullis Charter School

The Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCoE) sent a Notice of Concern to Bullis Charter School in May 2021 requiring BCS to take corrective action to address a lack of diversity in its student body due to under enrollment in four categories: students with special needs, socio-economically disadvantaged students, Hispanic students and English Language Learners. By law, BCS's student body should be reflective of the general population of LASD. Per SCCoE's Notice of Concern, BCS does not meet this legal standard.

The Notice stated that if BCS cannot remedy the concerns in the Notice, the charter's upcoming charter renewal would be denied.

The SCCoE Board is meeting today Wednesday, October 6 at 6pm to consider a Proposal from BCS to change its admissions preference for its annual enrollment lottery.

At its meeting Monday night, the LASD Board discussed the Proposal and gave direction to Superintendent Baier to send a letter to the SCCoE Board to share its concerns and feedback on the Proposal and Notice. The Board expressed concern that BCS's Proposal alone may not be enough to achieve the results required to meet the letter of the law. Additionally, the Board discussed the need to plan for the possibility that SCCoE could deny BCS's charter when it comes up for renewal in the next two years.

For more information, please check out item H.3.

Remote Board Meetings

In March 2020, the Governor issued an Executive Order allowing public meetings of the governing board to be held electronically. Recently, the Governor signed Assembly Bill No. 361 to continue to allow electronic meetings and protect the rights of the public by requiring electronic means for the public to observe and provide comment in real time. This is how LASD has been conducting its Board meetings since March 2020.

Under AB 361, the Board may hold electronic meetings if there is a proclaimed state of emergency and either social distancing is recommended/required or the governing board determines that as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees. The March 2020 state of emergency is still in effect and social distancing has been recommended by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.

The LASD Board discussed the matter and voted unanimously to continue to hold meetings electronically. It will re-evaluate circumstances next month.

To view the presentation please check out item H.1. on our agenda.

10th Site Master Planning Update

LASD and the City of Mountain View have been meeting since August 2019 to discuss plans for a community school, park and outdoor recreational space. Additionally, they have discussed site needs for various forms of transportation, such as vehicles and bikes, as well as safe walkways for pedestrians.

The team has been discussing a site master plan, which would provide ample space for a 2-acre school, 2-acre city park and 4-acres of outdoor recreational space shared by the school and community. Preliminary school designs could accommodate up to 900 students in various grade configurations.

With all of this in mind, the city-schools team identified a potential location for the city park so the community can access the park safely without interfering with traffic flow or entering the school buildings or grounds.

To view the presentation, including maps of the proposed park, check out item H.2. on our agenda.

Next Meeting of the Board of Trustees

The next meeting of the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees will take place on Monday, October 18 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.