BOARD MEETING
Santa Rosa City Schools
February 14, 2024
4:00 p.m. – Closed Session
6:00 p.m. – Open Session
Hybrid: Zoom / Santa Rosa City Hall Council Chambers (100 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95404)
*** streamed ***
A live link will be posted on the SRCS website (link).
Board of Education / Video Board Meetings
Please take time to review the following abbreviated version of the agenda. Click here to see the entire agenda. It has live links on many items with more information. If you want to comment to the board about any upcoming items, email agendacomments@srcs.k12.ca.us. Please CC wearesrta@gmail.com on your email.
Closed Session Items:
A.1. Public Comment On Closed Session Agenda Items To comment, email Melanie Martin at mmartinsrcs.k12.ca.us.
B.1. Public Employee Performance Evaluation (Title of employee being reviewed: Superintendent, Associate Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Principals, Vice Principals, Assistant Principals, Directors, Coordinators)
B.2. Conference with Labor Negotiator (Name of designated rep attending: Dr. Vicki Zands (SRCS); name of organization: SRTA/CSEA)
B.3. Conference With Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation (Case: SCV-273000; 24CV-00520; 23CV-00397; #2024010111)
B.4. Conference With Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation (Number of potential cases: 1)
B.5. Student Expulsions (Case No.: 2023/24-13)
C. RECONVENE TO REGULAR OPEN SESSION (5:30 p.m.)
C.7. Special Presentations for Student of the Month and Certificated/Classified Employees of the Month (Brook Hill Elementary School)
- Anthony Lorenzana, Student of the Month
- Giselle Medoza, Classified Employee of the Month
- April Lombardo, Certificated Employee of the Month
A special invite goes out to the staff of BHES to attend this meeting to honor your own.
SRTA appreciates the rescheduling of Montgomery High School presentations due to the conflict with playoffs.
E. Public Comment on Non Agenda Items
SRTA members are invited to complete ‘blue cards.’ Online comments have been suspended. Please be prepared to observe the three minute time limit or the imposition of a possible two or even one minute limit. Only items on the agenda are addressed at this time.
Comments are requested at the board meeting to bring a member’s perspective and share real experiences of the impact of district policies and practices.
Please commit to watching or attending at least one board meeting this year, and speaking to an agenda item that impacts you or your students. Speakers are limited to those in person. Comments are most impactful when they are well spoken, composed and reasonable.
F. DISCUSSION / ACTION ITEMS
F.1. (Discussion) Restorative Practices Data
The data shared will reflect the current school year’s data as a baseline year. Data collected in former years was collected and housed in different formats and platforms. Starting with the 23/24 school year, all Restorative Specialists are provided with and required to utilize a common format to document services.
This data shows that there are restorative practices happening in SRCS. Where are the metrics to gauge if these contacts are having the desired impact? For instance, a stated purpose for restorative is to promote healthy school climates. Where is the data showing that these contacts are positively impacting school climate?
It raises questions that one elementary site has 61% of the recorded circles, and two high schools account for 70% of the high school circles.
Baseline data for site and population size makes it difficult to see if services are proportionally distributed.
F.2. (Action) First Read, and Possible Waiver of Second Read, of Board Policy 6158 (Independent Study)
The updates reflect new requirements from AB 181. This details a PK-12 program with daily synchronous instruction for students in grades transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 3. Opportunities for both daily live interaction and at least weekly synchronous instruction opportunities are called out for students in grades 4-8. For students in grades 9-12 there are opportunities for at least weekly synchronous instruction.
SRTA appreciates that teachers were included in the process for writing the new contract.
SRTA expects a streamlined process to expedite getting students into ISP. A student that is destined for ISP often disengages from class activities because they think it doesn’t apply to them in their upcoming setting. A student desiring these services deserves prompt placement.
This policy allows for PK-12 ISP. Currently SRCS only offers ISP to students in 7-12th grade. Are there plans for offering ISP to younger students?
The current program will need to be altered to add daily live instruction for our middle school students. Is sending out a daily google form sufficient to meet this requirement?
F.3. Action) Updates to the COVID-19 Safety Handbook
“Infectious period” has been redefined. Cases with symptoms may return to work/campus if 24 hours have passed with no fever (without the use of fever-reducing medication. For cases with no symptoms, there is no infectious period for the purpose of isolation and exclusion.
Additionally, CDPH has revised their recommendations for COVID-19 testing. They recommend testing for all people with new COVID-19 symptoms and testing for those who had close contact with people who are at higher risk of severe disease or who have contact with people who are at higher risk of severe disease.
The SRCS COVID Safety Handbook has been updated to reflect these changes.
The prior requirement for employees include 5 quarantine days post negative test. When teachers were infected on campus they were not covered by workmans comp, and had to utilize their own PN days for this. This change will bring relief to employees.
F.4. (Action) Approval of Provisional Internship Permit Application (PIP) Maleni Carrillo Gomez
For a SDC/RSP TK/K Elementary Teaching position at Luther Burbank Elementary School.
This is the fifth application to waive requirements for a hire in the district this year. Far fewer than last year.
F.5. (Action) Second Read of Board Policy 6163.2 – Animals at School
The Board will review and potentially approve the revised Board Policy 6163.2, Animals at School. The board asked this item to return for a second reading after collaborating with the bargaining units.
How did the collaboration with the bargaining units go on this item? Were any changes incorporated into the policy? Is there any clarification on the implementation of this new policy?
G. CONSENT ITEMS
G.2. Approval of Personnel Transactions
EdJoin shows a total of 105 current postings for 179 job vacancies for SRCS. There are 15 certificated openings (two less than the last meeting), and 2 certificated management openings (one more than the last meeting.) There are 88 current classified openings (seventy-one less than the last meeting), and no classified management positions (the same as the last meeting.)
SRTA welcomes four new certificated hires:Andrea Munguia (CCLA), Tina Huang (SRHS), Adrienne Mead-Juarez (SPSV), and Maleni Carrillo Gomez (LBES). We also welcome back two rehires Michelle Vargas and Christian Hernandez Carlino (CCLA.) This brings this year’s certificated hires to 138. That is nearly 15% of our certificated workforce.
SRTA bids farewell to Zoe Miller who is resigning at the end of the year after nine years of service to our staff and students. Isabel Oandason is retiring after 24.5 years of service to our students. We wish you all the best!
Also of note: The principal position at RVMS is open. Eleven teachers appear to have been hired for 0.2 FTE high school credit courses to aid senior graduation rates.
There are over a dozen teachers that are not being invited back because they are ‘not a good fit.’ What is being done proactively to help these folks grow into their positions in our district, as we have such a difficult time replacing them?
It is almost March. What is the timeline for posting positions for next year? Years of experience provides the wisdom that the earlier jobs are posted the better the chance of filling them with qualified individuals.
This month’s changes to classified staff include four new hires and four resignations, taking two years of experience with them.
G.5. Approval of Contracts
Summary
| # | Provider | Cost | Description |
| District | |||
| 1 | Pacific Tree Care | $4,800 | Evaluation of trees on DO site. |
| 2 | KBA Docusys | $38,400 | 1 year extension of existing copier contract to allow for DO to evaluate actual future needs. |
| 3 | CBT Nuggets LLC | $4,990 | IT online training for 10 |
| 8 | Sonoma County Office of Education | No Direct Cost | Data sharing MOU with SCOE. |
| 11-13 | Point Loma Nazarene University | No Direct Cost | Student teacher Agreement. |
| 14 | SR Stony Point DE, LLC | $32,656 | Modification of lease. |
| Secondary | |||
| 4 | ATL Events | $4,572 | Graduation stage with ramps for MHS from General Funds. |
| 5 | Crawford & Associates | $5,000 | Certified testing and special inspection engineering consultant to ensure conformity to the contract documents for the softball scoreboard at SRHS from Bond Measure C. |
| 6 | Grassetti Environmental Consulting | $1,080 | Provide CEQA Documentation as required for the installation of the softball scoreboard at SRHS from Bond Measure C. |
| 7 | Fun Science | $800 | Two interactive assemblies for RVMS from the LCAP. |
| 9 | Lime Foundation NextGen Trade Academy | No Direct Cost | Program introduces underserved youth to essential careers in the construction industry and then matches graduates with gainful employment. Up to 30 EAHS students will participate in ten trades classes and five career development workshops. |
| 10 | JMA Security | $1,056 | Security services for graduation equipment from the general fund. |
| 15 | Phase Four Film | -$10,000 | Will use Santa Rosa High School facilities for filming during Spring Break. |
Total value of contracts = $83,354
How are decisions made about what can use LCAP funds and what can come from general funds?
Are there plans to provide a non ambulatory accessible graduation stage for all sites?
The Lime Foundation program looks incredible. Can we scale up to include underserved students across the district?
How much of the $10,000 goes to SRHS from the contract to use their site as a film set?
G.6. Approval of a Title I, Part A, Schoolwide Waiver Program (SWP) for Santa Rosa High School, Plan/School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)
Santa Rosa High School is seeking Board approval to continue to operate as a Title I Schoolwide Program (SWP) school for the remainder of the 2023/24 school year as they have determined that this is the best way to serve their student population even though they have dropped below the 40% threshold of students from low-income families.
School Site Council Agenda and Minutes
SRTA supports these motions. It is cumbersome to spend Title 1 funds without this approval.
G.8. Approval of Award of Bid for Blast Chillers for Child Nutrition Services
The current blast chillers are non-operational. Installing new blast chillers will increase the capacity of the SRCS Central Kitchen to prepare food from-scratch. The blast chillers will be purchased using Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Grant (KIT) Funds. KIT Funds are one-time grant funding to invest in scratch cooking at schools.
$367,177.
SRTA supports efforts that will improve the quality of food served to our students.
G.9. Approval of Award of Bid for Horizontal Food Flow Wrapper Machine for Child Nutrition Services
The current horizontal food flow wrapper machine has exceeded the usable lifetime and must be replaced. Installing a new horizontal food flow wrapper machine will increase the capacity of the SRCS Central Kitchen to prepare food from-scratch. The CNS team will use the horizontal food flow wrapper machine to replace purchased individually wrapped products with foods prepared from-scratch in the central kitchen. The horizontal food flow wrapper machine will be purchased using Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Grant (KIT) Funds. KIT Funds are one-time grant funding to invest in scratch cooking at schools.
$207,118.
SRTA supports efforts that will improve the quality of food served to our students.
G.10. Approval of the Lease Agreement with Enterprise for Vehicle Replacement for the Maintenance and Grounds Department
Staff proposes that the Board consider a Master Lease Agreement with Enterprise for the immediate addition of five (5) vehicles within the Maintenance and Operations Department. We will bring back each year, over the next five years, an addition of five vehicles until we have replaced all twenty-six.
Down Payment- $1,757.00
Total Annual Lease Cost- $54,888.00
Routine Restricted Maintenance Funds
G.11 . Approval of STRATA Master Architecture Agreement
This is to include construction and modernization at existing school sites and district facilities as identified in SRCS’ Facility Master Plan (FMP) . Contracts for Architectural firms based on projects will be brought back to the Board. There is no monetary remuneration specified.
G.12. Approval of Hibser Yamauchi Architects Master Agreement and Planning and Design of a Pre-Fabricated Maintenance Warehouse & Data Center through Schematic Design
The proposal was approved at the 1/24/24 Board meeting. We did not have the master agreement ready for that meeting, so we are bringing it at this time.
13. Approval of Bridging Architectural Services Agreement with Hibser Yamauchi Architects for the District Office and Educational Center
The proposal for this assignment was approved at the 1/24/24 Board meeting. The attached document is the formal agreement of the terms and authorization to move forward. There is no additional fiscal impact, as it was included in the previously approved proposal.
14. Approval of Brelje and Race Professional Services Agreement for the District Office Topography and Underground Survey
The design process was approved on 1/10/24. The attached document is the formal agreement of the terms and authorization to move forward. There is no additional fiscal impact, as it was included in the previously approved proposal.
15. Approval of Treva Minks Proposal for Division of State Architecture Certification
Approval of Treva Minks proposal to assist in DSA close-out and certification for projects that were previously closed without certification. When previous projects have not been closed out completely, it affects our ability to move forward with current bond projects until the legacy (old) projects can be certified.
Fund 21 – Not to Exceed $30,000
SRTA wonders why closing out a project is not covered in services provided for a project.
16. Approval of Strata Proposal and Project Assignment for Abraham Lincoln Elementary School Light Modernization Pilot & Standardization
Light modernization was high on the prioritization of the school sites during the Facilities Master Planning. In order to maximize the use of these funds, the Facilities team is working with Strata A/P to standardize the light modernization for all sites in order to keep materials, classroom layouts with teaching wall locations, and possible furniture to make classrooms and learning spaces flexible in lieu of casework. The pilot would begin with Light Modernization at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School.
$26,905.00 – fund 21
SRTA wonders how this interfaces with the interior LED light replacements that were recently done districtwide. Is this for exterior lights?
17. Approval of Strata Proposal & Project Assignment for the Design of the Montgomery High School(MHS) Dance Studio Relocation
In order to avoid temporary housing during the construction phase, the Facilities Team has worked with the MHS site to relocate the classrooms scheduled to be demolished within the campus. In order to relocate the Dance Studio, Room 17 needs to be modernized. The attached proposal from Strata A/P includes the design fees and construction administration for this project.
$23,500.00 – fund 21
18. Approval of Master Agreement for Division of State Architecture (DSA) Inspector of Record Services for the Montgomery HS Two-Story Classroom Project
Following Board approval of the IOR pool at the December 14, 2022, Board meeting, District staff requested proposals from the pool for DSA IOR services and oversight on the Montgomery High School 2-Story Classroom Building Project.
Fund 21 – $392,000
19. Approval of Revised 23-24 Extra Duty Hourly Miscellaneous Salary Schedule
The Child Care hourly salary was corrected from Range 13, Step 1, (CSEA Chapter 75 22-23 Salary Schedule) $16.97/hour to Range 13, Step 2, (CSEA Chapter 75 23-24 Salary Schedule) $19.25/hour.
The Bilingual Translator-Spanish hourly salary was updated from $50.00/hour to Range 33, Step 2, (CSEA Chapter 75 23-24 Salary Schedule) to $31.55/hour.
H.1. Approval of Minutes
J1. Future Board Discussion Items
SRTA Members are encouraged to prepare for the upcoming agenda items.
- LCAP Midyear Review (2/28/24)
What is the plan for including bargaining units in the evaluation and development of the new LCAP?
Is giving five days notice for stakeholder input meetings is best practice to collect valuable information from these gatherings?
- Resolution for March as Women’s History Month (2/28/24)
- Resolution for Arts Education Month (2/28/24)
- Resolution for Skipping Criteria (2/28/24)
- Resolution for Tie-Breaking Criteria (2/28/24)
- Second Interim Fiscal Report (3/13/24)
SRTA looks to the future scheduling of the following items:
- Schools Plus Report (
10/11/23) - Officially Closing Learning House
- MAP Testing (Board request 8/23/23)
At one meeting, the fact that a certain percentage of math and English teachers had given this test last year was presented by SRCS as evidence that the test is good, and teachers supported giving it. This is not logical nor accurate. The legitimate concerns teachers have shared about this assessment have been dismissed. The meeting teachers had with a district representative last year about alternative assessment possibilities appears to have been to no effect.
The longitudinal CAASPP data has clearly identified concerns about student performance. Current efforts could be better spent addressing those academic concerns, instead of collecting more data. This is especially frustrating when the MAP assessment isn’t seen as helpful for students or teachers.
Thank you to Directors Medina and De La Cruz for requesting more information on this assessment. SRTA members look forward to this agenda item.
- Parcel Tax
With a flier going out, will the board officially decide to proceed with a Parcel Tax?
- A-G Program Decision
- Results of Developer Fee exploration
- SRACS Accelerated Charter Material Revision Request (delayed)
- Review of Math grades and progress including demographic data (board request)
- SCOE Unification/Redistricting Report (on option #1)
- Plan for Staff Housing support program from the proceeds of Fir Ridge
Until the district makes a decision, the proceeds from the sale are just sitting. Getting a program started could help SRCS attract and retain staff.
- Student Voice Policy
- BEST Plus Update
- Many staff members have not been trained, and are not aware of what this looks like in practice.
J.4. School Site Reports
J. 5. 2024 Ballot for CSBA Delegate Assembly
CSBA’s Delegate Assembly is a vital link in the association’s governance structure. Working with local districts, county offices, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee, Delegates ensure that the association reflects the interests of school districts and county offices of education. The Delegate Assembly comprises Delegates who are elected and appointed by local board members in 21 geographic regions throughout the state. Delegates will serve two-year terms beginning April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2026. The Delegate Assembly meets twice each year.
The Board will consider voting for the presented candidate at its February 28, 2024, meeting.