The West Sonoma County Union High School District’s (WSCUHSD) Jan. 19 board meeting is shaping up to show the range of what goes into an educational experience, from finances and budget planning to new courses, mental health services and discussions on skylights and roofing.
The main open session begins over Zoom at 6:30 p.m. Community members can access the agenda and Zoom information right here. At 5 p.m., however, the board will take public comments on items covered in the closed session before transitioning to the private session for a hearing and discussion regarding potentially expelling a student.
During closed session, there will also be conferences with labor negotiators from West Sonoma County Teachers Association (WSCTA) and the California School Employees Association (CSEA), in addition to considering discipline, dismissal or release for a public employee.
The open session kicks off with district and counseling staff presenting the board and the public an update on mental health services currently available to students. Next, New School Model Planning Team members are to share how the New School Model Grant is being put into effect at West County High School and Laguna High School.
The agenda report states the district received the multi-year grant for the schools to center “integrated, relevant and career-connected opportunities,” building from the foundation of the district’s Portrait of a Graduate.
Third, the board of trustees may approve new courses in the Career Technical Education (CTE) Department, listed as:
– Product innovation and design
– Graphic production technologies
– Introduction to digital media
– Introduction to agriculture science
– Digital agency
– Career Technical Education (CTE) Survey
– Agriculture mechanics 2
– Agriculture economics
– Agriculture business
– Agriculture government
The board is slated to consider updating to the WSCUHSD’s COVID safety plan, and then the trustees will decide where to host the Feb. 9 board meeting and what safety protocols to use, depending on available facilities and circumstances under COVID.
Later, the school board is scheduled to receive and discuss a presentation on a budget/financial calendar that spans parts of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 fiscal year to serve as “a financial guide,” per the report. The calendar includes budget development and other actions, like the first, second, and possibly third interim reports, adoption of the budget and approval of the unaudited actuals, which all call for board approval.
A discussion on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed state budget will come next, with staff speaking to how the proposal would affect the district’s budget if it gains legislative approval and the governor’s signature for adoption in June.
The agenda report said that in terms of K-12 education, the budget proposal seeks a 5.3% cost of living (COLA) adjustment to the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), plus modifying the LCFF’s average daily attendance (ADA) element.
Further, the budget proposes money for school facility upgrades and new construction, more funding for the Agricultural Career Technical Education Incentive Grant and “one-time funding, over four years, for College & Career Pathways,” per the report.
Following, the board is to receive and discuss the 2021-22 Parcel Tax Budget Plan, going over expenses to see if they still line up with the purposes and requirements of the 2020 Parcel Tax Measure B.
There is an update to the board regarding expenditures on a yearly basis, according to the agenda report. The parcel tax was approved as somewhat of a replacement for Measure K and tax collections of $72 per parcel started in the 2020-21 fiscal year.
The monthly budget update, monthly personnel report and the first reading of the California School Board Association’s recommended updates to board policy and administrative regulations come up in the board meeting.
Other matters to be addressed then include a public hearing on WSCUHSD’s starting proposal for contract negotiations with CSEA for 2021-22, consideration of that proposal’s approval and consideration of accepting opener from CSEA’s initial proposal for contract negotiations with the district for 2021-22.
And that’s not all. The school board is also set to consider authorizing a contract to Campbell Keller for classroom furniture and to discuss an update on replacing the skylights at WCHS’ main building or roofing over them.
