Board Highlights - September 2019
Update on Bond Measure "A" Projects and Financial Information
Staff made a brief presentation to update the Board and community on the current Measure "A" construction and capital repair projects.
LCAP Timeline
For the 2020-21 school year, the three-year Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) cycle starts anew. To that end, it is time to start tracking outcomes of the SUHSD LCAP Annual Update and the process for determining next year's goals.
Although the Board does not need to approve the LCAP until June of 2020, the process for producing a viable plan takes all year. Surveys, community engagement events, advisory budget meetings, and annual update items will monopolize the work on LCAP this fall. In the spring, input and data measures will be coupled with further budget studies and community reviews of proposed goals and actions to develop school plans and inform regular reports to the Board.
Please keep in mind that there could be changes to the timeline based upon the state's release of the new LCAP template, currently scheduled to be made public in November.
To that end, click here to see the proposed timeline for the aforementioned undertakings.
KIPP Peninsula High School Charter (Approved)
The Petition for the establishment of the KIPP Peninsula High School Charter School ("Charter School") was submitted to the Sequoia Union High School District ("District") seeking approval for a five-year term commencing July 1, 2020, in June 2019. The Parties agreed to a schedule for the Board of Trustees to review and consider it.
At its August 7, 2019, meeting, the District's Board of Trustees held a public hearing regarding the Petition pursuant to Education Code section 47605 so the Board could hear and consider the level of support for the Petition by teachers and other employees of the District, and parents. On August 9, 2019, the Charter School and District mutually agreed to extend the deadline for the District Board to take action regarding the Petition until the Board's regular meeting on September 11, 2019. At the Board's regular meeting on August 28, 2019, an update was provided to the Board and the public regarding the status of the petition process, and additional time was afforded for public comment from stakeholders and interested persons regarding the Petition. The Parties agreed to extend the timeline for the Board of Trustees to decide whether to grant the proposed charter from its meeting on September 11, 2019, to September 25, 2019, to allow Petitioners to address proposed conditions of approval in advance of the Board of Trustees consideration and decision.
District staff, with the assistance of legal counsel, analyzed the Petition and supporting documents submitted by petitioners, analyzed additional documentation provided by the petitioners in response to multiple requests for information, and met with petitioners on several dates. Petitioner addressed primary concerns expressed by District administration and Trustees that could have justified denial by providing additional information and making revisions to the charter petition via attached Addendum.
Education Code section 47605 and implementing regulations sets forth the legal requirements for the establishment of charter schools. Per Education Code section 47605 the Board may not deny a charter petition unless it makes written factual findings, specific to the particular charter school, setting forth facts to support one or more of findings for denial, including, "The petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program set forth in the petition"; and the petition does not contain reasonably comprehensive descriptions of all 15 elements required by Education Code section 47605. Given the Addendum modifying the charter and MOU, District staff recommends approval.
