In the first of two meetings it has scheduled for this week, the Cloverdale Unified School District (CUSD) Board of Trustees is meeting this Wednesday, June 16 to discuss developer and facility fees and hold public hearings for developer fees, the district’s 2021-22 proposed budget and its 2021-22 Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). The meeting begins at 6 p.m. and is being held virtually over Zoom. To view the full agenda packet, click here.
Fees and development impact report
As required, the school board will be holding a public hearing for the increase in developer fees charged by the district. Per the board agenda, the fee adjustment is equal to the change in the cost index for Class B construction, as determined by the state’s allocation board. Accompanying the public hearing will be a presentation about the district’s Developer Fee Justification Study.
Along similar lines, the board will be considering the approval of an increase in school facility fees.
“At the January 22, 2020, meeting, the State Allocation Board approved the maximum fee authorized by Education Code Section 17620 to $4.08 per square foot of residential construction described in Government Code Section 65995(b)(1) and $0.66 per square foot against commercial and industrial construction described in Government Code Section 65995(b)(2),” according to the board agenda.
King Consulting will also be presenting the district’s Development Impact Report to the trustees. The report looks at residential development occurring within the district boundaries, as well as the impact that development might have on the district, its facilities and its ability to teach students. According to the board agenda packet, all sites are undersized for the highest projected enrollments when using guidelines set forth by the California Department of Education.
“The most important takeaway is that the development currently underway and expected to occur over the next few years will completely change the district’s enrollment projects and facility needs,” states one slide that will be presented during Wednesday’s board meeting.
The report also outlines the need for district facility modernization, portable classroom replacement and larger facilities, while also citing the increased difficulty the district will likely face when it comes to raising funds over the next decade.
Budget and LCAP
The board will be holding a public hearing on its budget for the next fiscal year, with the goal of approving it at its meeting later this week, on June 18. Per the board agenda, the district is able to meet both the state mandates 3% budget reserve, as well as the board-approved 5% reserve in the 2021-22 year, as well as the two subsequent years.
The district’s 2021-22 LCAP will also have a dedicated hearing. The LCAP is the first in a three-year cycle. LCAPs are intended to outline how the district plans to spend state funds outlined in the Local Control Funding Formula devoted to high-needs (foster youth, English learner, low-income) students.
According to the board agenda, “The 2021/-2 LCAP focuses on three priorities to begin with. District administration met with a stakeholder group made up of district staff, principals, community members, parents/guardians, students and two board members. The group met regularly (one to two times per month) beginning in January 2021 and identified areas of greatest need. District administration analyzed the information and began to strategically create the plan with stakeholder input on goals, actions, and measures. The plan was reviewed monthly with further information gathered. The draft LCAP was also shared with DELAC and a Parent Advisory Group prior to finalization.”
The CUSD is projected to receive $14.4 million of its $17.1 million projects revenue from state funds. Of that $14.4 million, $1.9 is generated based on the number of high-needs students enrolled in the district, which meant that $1.9 million is outlined in the LCAP.
“The district LCAP focuses extensively on supplemental staff to support social emotional learning, academic progress, language skills and provides for professional development (PD) for instructional staff, increasing supplemental support services for students, and increasing broad course access for middle and high school students. For the 2021-2022 school year, both certificated and classified staff will receive professional development opportunities in the areas of best first instruction, literacy instruction, Designated and Integrated ELD, and social-emotional learning including Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Classified staff will have access to differentiated professional development (PD) in order to build capacity in serving students,” per the district’s description of its LCAP. Additionally, for the 2021-22 school year, the LCAP outlines the district’s goal of investing in additional staff time to coordinate academic and social emotional support services, as well as credit recovery efforts and tutoring.
