Monday, February 16, 2015

February 9th School Board Meeting


Video Link Part 1: Kindergarten Schedules/ Extended Day Kindergarten
Video link 2: Board Policy 5111: Student Admission, AR 5111.1 Residency
Video link 3: Board Policy 5111: Student Admission, AR 5111.1: Residency, Public comment: Residency Policy, Gov Proposed Budget for 2015-16
Video link 4: Governor's Proposed Budget, 2015-16, and impact on OUSD
            

Trustees Meeting Highlights 2-9-15 
Certificated Employee of the Month: Betsy Howe   Classified Employee of the Month: Kevin Nguyen

  • Discussion re: extended kindergarten day
  • Trustee Kaune requested clarification of intervention model, cost of returning to extended day, and timeline for implementation
  • Trustee Butler asked about numbers of students in intervention
  • Trustee Rossitor asked about a specialist delivering intervention and how the schedule works
  • Trustee Brown asked for the amount of time devoted to intervention. Mrs. Marshall stated that each intervention student receive 45 minutes per day, 4 days per week of intervention
  • Trustees Butler and Brown suggested that a committee of parents & teachers be formed to address interest in extended K and recommended a more instructional day beyond just lunch for K students.
  • Trustee Moran: recognized that there is interest in the amount of K content and not rushing through it
  • Jim Bartleman K teacher spoke to need for extended K (Charles Shannon has video of Jim and Cathy (below)): inclusion of academics with rest time, with socialization, with opportunities to assimilate learning
  • Cathy Shipp, K teacher spoke: high standards of district expectations: read at level e, write a complete narrative and persuasive piece, use upper and lower case letters, voice, description. Need for social studies, art , music. Currently schedule does not allow time to cover curriculum and allow for socialization. K teachers should be able to focus on K teaching (not intervention)
  • Parent Nadine Waters, psychologist: shared nuero-science that impacts K students: brain growth between 4.5 years and 6 years; needs stimulation; skills form the foundation for academic readiness
  • Molly Wilson, SHPC president: expected services are declining, frustrated parents who are investing significant monies into the district, less volunteerism from double working parents, supports extended K
  • Megan Baldwin, WR K parent: supporting extended K classes; 900 members/260 Orinda mothers in Lamorinda Moms; surprised that extended day has been annually brought to OUSD Board without results; reflected on temperament of children participating in a minimal K experience
  • Cheryl Bjornson, Glorietta parent: extended K provides long term benefits, transitional minutes, supports full inclusion of programs, suggested an advisory body so that extended K may begin in fall 2015
  • Neil Wright: Glorietta parent: supports extended K class that will provide greater support to students in future grades
  • BP5111: reviewed by Rossitor and Kaune
  • Student Residency: open to more forms of residency certification (i.e. CDL, employment contract, PG & E statement, military i.d, caregiver affadavit.); board approval instead of superintendent approval, included appeal to Trustees process
  • Trustees together read through revised BP and made additional revisions.
  • 4th graders at Sleepy Hollow will participate in a camp field trip at Malakoff Diggings.

2015-16 Calendar
Monday, 8/24: staff dev.
Tues. 8/25: teachers’ workday
Weds. 8/26; students return to school
Fri. 6/10: closing day
Other SD: Fri. 9/18 (min. day), Mon. 10/12 (min. day), Mon. Jan 25, Mon. March 7, Fri. April 15 (min. day)
Parent Conferences: Oct 12-16, March 14-15
180 student days, 184 certificated work-days

Governor’s Budget
2014-15 ADA               1.58% COLA             2015-16 ADA
TK-3: $7011.00            $111.00                   $7122.00
4-6:  $7116.00             $112.00                   $7228.00
7-8:  $7328.00             $116.00                   $7444.00

  • In addition, the 2015-16 TK-3 grant increase for CSR is $741.00 ADA.
  • The Gov. Budget proposes 900 million in one-time Prop 98 monies in 2014-15 to eliminate all remaining deferral debt in K-12.
  • The Budget provides 1.58% COLA for Special Education and $15.3 million for enrollment growth.
  • The Gov. Budget also includes prior year mandated reimbursement funds as discretionary one-time Prop 98 funding to further implement Common Core.
  • The estimated funding for OUSD is based on $180/ADA or $450K.
  • CALSTRS and PERS district retirement contributions will increase from 2014-15 to 2020-21.
2014-15                                                                                 2020-15
CALSTRS: 9.5% district contribution                                    19.1% 
PERS: 11.771%                                                                    20.4%
  • The formula providing funds to lower K-3 class sizes to 24 remains the same (currently n/a for Orinda thanks to our school community).
  • The Governor has created a Rainy Day Fund as a cushion against a future financial recession. At the close of this school year it is expected to reach 2.8 million dollars.
  • The estimated increase in revenue for OUSD is expected to be  $400 per ADA via LCFF funds as well as maintaining the $180 per ADA via the Mandated Cost Block Grant.

Respectfully submitted by,
Colleen Sullivan