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.
• 4^th 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