REGULAR BOARD MEETING
Santa Rosa City Schools
March 26, 2025
Hybrid: Santa Rosa City Hall Council Chambers
4:00 p.m. – Open Session
6:00 p.m. – Open Session
Hybrid: Zoom / Santa Rosa City Hall
*** streamed ***
A live link will be posted on the SRCS website.
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.
Members attending online are encouraged to add SRTA to the front of their Zoom client name.
Closed Session Items:
A.1. Public Comment On Closed Session Agenda Items To comment, email Melanie Martin at mmartinsrcs.k12.ca.us.
B.1. Conference With Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation (Case Nos: 2025-82, Certificated Employee 313)
B. 2. Student Expulsions (Case No: 2024/25-25, 2024/25-27)
B.3. Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release
B.4. Public Employee Performance Evaluation (Title of employee being reviewed: Superintendent, Associate Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Principals, Vice Principals, Assistant Principals, Directors, Coordinators)
How are administrators evaluated? What defines someone as able to continue for the rest of the year, but unfit to stay with the district for the next year? What causes someone who was deemed not a good fit eligible for retention? The trust of the community could grow by making this decision making process more transparent.
RECONVENE TO REGULAR OPEN SESSION (6:00 p.m.)
C.7. Special Presentations for Student of the Month and Certificated/Classified Employees of the Month
Hidden Valley Elementary School
- Kiyana Agbayani, Student of the Month
- Karlos Silva, Classified Employee of the Month
- Debbie Winkelman, Certificated Employee of the Month
Montgomery High School
- Lulia Embaye, Student of the Month
- Jessica Adrade Bernabe, Classified Employee of the Month
- Morganne Schmitt, Certificated Employee of the Month
SRTA members are encouraged to celebrate their own by attending this meeting!
D. Reports
D. 7. School Consolidation / Transition Update
Transition Plan Overview This document includes theDesign Team, Implementation Team, site Empowerment Teams, Communication and Engagement Plan, Educational Services Plan, Special Services Plan, Business Services Plan, Wellness and Engagement Plan, Human Resources Plan, and Ongoing Monitoring and Adjustments.
One of the only obvious updates is the Elementary Readiness Plan to facilitate a seamless academic and social-emotional transition for Brook Hill and Albert Biella students, families, and staff as they move to their new school site.
This report remains to present summaries of key actions without details. Who is the audience? This minimal amount of information should not satisfy our board, or the public as we go through unprecedented changes to every one of our schools.
Are our school communities and families getting more details about the changes that most concern them? Will the website that is being rolled out this week contain links to meeting minutes? Summaries of discussions and decisions made at the many meetings? How do families and employees get access to the details they need to make informed decisions about what schools they choose to attend next year?
We know that many families are currently trying to enroll in other districts, at all grade levels, for the 2025-26 school year. The details of these decisions may make the difference in whether they attend SRCS schools, or not.
Vague statements like Empower teams “met to discuss key priorities” or “the facilities team continue supporting school site Empower teams” are not communicating any substantial information.
What are the enrollment numbers like, by site for next year? How many transfer requests were there for each site, and what is the status of these? Leaving families on a waiting list until the summer misses the mark for ‘Embracing,’ and appears to encourage securing placement outside of the district before the end of the school year.
All of this must be done in a way that builds the trust of the community. This requires regular transparency, honest monitoring and clear communication.
Our members and community would like to know the decision making structure being used.
SRCS has long struggled with planning and implementation. The constant turnover with all levels of administration have added to the difficulties of having a plan and seeing it through. The recent decisions to change site administration teams is viewed as complete chaos. It takes years before an admin can build the relationship and trust necessary to effectively lead a site.
Students being moved from a middle school campus to a high school campus for a 7-12 model deserve to not lose programs. Families are seeking other placements now out of fear. They need to be immediately reassured that SRCS has a vision with specific plans that ensures their students will be safe and secure on SRCS high school sites, with access to a full comprehensive education which includes music, arts and drama programs, after school sports, and extra curricular activities such as dances.
As SRCS transforms secondary education into a 7-12 model, SRTA looks forward to supporting the board in studying these efforts and achieving transparency in communicating the specifics of intention, as well as tracking student enrollment/attendance, student performance, and the actual cost savings achieved and evaluating these measures. Metrics must be evaluated, and transparently communicated for semester one, to inform adjustments for the following year.
The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) is a very well-researched theoretical framework used to understand and facilitate the process of implementing change, particularly in educational settings, by focusing on the concerns individuals have, allowing leaders to better support them through the change process by addressing concerns at each stage.
Change is a process, not an event, and it takes time to institute change;
• Individuals must be the focus if change is to be facilitated, and institutions will not change until their members change;
• The change process is an extremely personal experience, and how it is perceived by the individual will strongly influence the outcome;
• Individuals progress through various stages, regarding their emotions and capabilities relating to the innovation;
• The availability of a client-centered diagnostic/prescriptive model can enhance the individual’s facilitation during staff development; and
• People responsible for the change process must work in an adaptive and systematic way where progress needs to be monitored constantly.
E. Public Comment on Non Agenda Items
SRTA Members are invited to complete ‘blue cards.’ Online comments have been suspended unless a board member is attending remotely. Please be prepared to observe the three minute time limit or the imposition of a possible last minute reduction in the time limit. Recently comments have been limited to 60 seconds, with a limit on the total time spent on public comments. Only items NOT on the agenda are addressed at this time, with the exception of consent items, which may be commented on.
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 on students and staff.
Please commit to watching or attending at least one board meeting this year, and speaking to agenda items that impact you or your students. Speakers are limited to just those in person. Comments are most impactful when they are well spoken, composed and reasonable.
Members who are being RIFd are encouraged to toot their own horn and speak to the board about what is lost to our community if we lose you as an employee.
SRTA members are invited to speak to the board about the impact of this chaos on you and your students.
F. DISCUSSION / ACTION ITEMS
F.1. (Action) Acceptance of the 2023-2024 Independent Audit Report
Chavan & Associates, LLP provided auditing services. It is noteworthy that since 2019-2020 the Audit had zero findings, exceptions, or other corrective actions.
F.2. (Discussion/Action) Consider the Addition of Flag Football as a New Sport
The Educational Services Division is proposing to add flag football to SRCS sports due to strong student interest. A 2023 survey showed 17.2% of students supported the sport, and 2024 data confirmed enough interest to form teams at each high school. With the North Bay League expanding flag football in 2025, joining would provide SRCS students with new athletic opportunities and keep them in line with neighboring schools.
Fiscal Impact: approximately $55,000 in Title IV for the first year; afterwards, only the cost of the coaches because most school sites can support essential expenses like officials through revenue generated from ticket sales, Booster campaigns, and individual team fundraising efforts.
SRTA members would appreciate the framing of this topic within a larger structure. What is causing families and students to choose schools outside of SRCS? How does SRCS identify these shortcomings? How are they prioritized and addressed? How is budgeting changed to support the things most valued?
F.3. (Action) Approval of MOU Reached with SRCS and Supervisory and Unrepresented Employees Regarding Service Recognition
This provides for five percent raises after these specified employees are in their same position for fourteen, nineteen, twenty-two, twenty-five, twenty-seven, thirty and thirty-two years of service.
SRTA members appreciate the benefit of longevity in a position providing thorough understanding of the history and specifics of the job.
G.2. Approval of Personnel Transactions
EdJoin shows a total of 54 current postings for 114 jobs in SRCS. There are eleven certificated opening postings for fifteen positions (two less than last meeting.) There are forty-three current classified postings for ninety-nine job openings (the same as the last meeting). There are no certificated or classified management positions open.
SRTA bids a fond farewell to Ana Lee Walters (EAHS), Damien Mason (EDSERV), James Purvis (SRHS) and Berkeley Teter (RVMS/MHS) who all are resigning. They take fifteen years of experience and service with them.
SRTA celebrates the announced retirements of Robin Prince (MHS), Nikki Winovich (JMES), Dawn Baskin (ALES) for the end of the school year, after a combined forty-nine years of service. Thank you for your timely notifications.
How many resignations and retirements were noticed for the different levels of bonus payments? Statistics should be gathered and shared to determine if these offers were enough to encourage early notifications.
Changes to classified staff include two new hires, two resignations and one retirement. They leave taking with them twenty-seven years of knowledge and service to our staff and students.
G.5. Approval of Contracts
Summary
| # | Provider | Cost | Description |
| Elementary | |||
| 4 | LandPaths | $64,800.00 | 4 week-long outdoor camps for a total of 144 elementary students ($450 per student) |
| 7 | Springboard Collaborative | $71,460.00 | K-4 early literacy summer school program for up to 250 students ($286 per student) |
| 8 | Sonoma State University / Excel for Youth | $112,000.00 | provide 200 students (2 weeks of 100 students) with the opportunity to participate in learning experiences that are hands-on, engaging and supportive of social and academic growth. ($560 per student) |
| District | |||
| 1 | Crown Lift | $970.00 | Planned maintenance on the District Warehouse’s pallet jacks and forklift every 180 days |
| 2 | Follett Software | $12,337.17 | database system used to efficiently manage library collections, textbooks, and other educational resources, provides centralized access to books, digital materials, and instructional assets, making it easier for students and staff to locate and utilize resources ($564 per site) |
| 5 | Luther Burbank Center for the Arts | $58,000.00 | 3 week he Mariachi/Arts Camp for up to 240 students ($242 per student) |
| 9 | City of Santa Rosa Parks & Rec | $56,170.00 | Enrichment programs for 150 students at PHS 6/16 to 7/18, and from 6/16 – 7/24 for 125 students at HSMSand 175 students at ABES for $125 per student. |
| 12 | Sonoma County Office of Education | No Direct Cost | Reciprocal MOU for county wide interdistrict transfers. |
| 13 | Sonoma State University / Clinical Practice Agreement | No Additional Cost | For interns, SRCS pays $1,500 directly to mentors. |
| Secondary | |||
| 3 | CEV Multimedia | $750.00 | 25 students at EAHS to provide supplemental curriculum resources and student’s access to earn a Floral Design Industry certification. ($30/student) |
| 6 | Santa Rosa Metro Chamber of Commerce / Mike Hauser | No Direct Cost | STEM summer program for 100 incoming freshmen. |
| 10 | North Bay Trades Introduction Program | No Direct Cost | For Up to fifteen 11th and 12th Grade Students |
| 11 | New Hope for Youth | No Direct Cost | support intervention services for high risk students and their families |
| 14 | Stellar XP, Inc. | $3,000.00 | Provide large LED screens for SRHS graduation ceremony. |
| 15 | Santa Rosa Junior College | No Direct Cost | Provides Manufacturing 1 students the opportunity to earn credit-by-exam for SRJC WELD 170 |
Total value of contracts = $379,487.17
Who is served by each of the summer programs? How many students from each site have been served by each program? How are the students selected to participate in the programs? What robust communication system is used to inform staff and families of the availability of these programs?
Can Outdoor Education programs for all sixth graders in the SRCS district be supported by the funds being utilized for these summer programs? Currently the number of days of outdoor education that each site participates in varies greatly. Some sites do not participate in outdoor education at all while others go for four days and three nights. A site’s participation is based entirely on if the sixth grade teacher(s) are willing to take on the immense amount of extra work to make Camp happen with no additional pay. There is currently no district support for outdoor education during the school year. The sites that do participate in outdoor education are required to fundraise the difference between the total cost and the amount budgeted in their site’s SPSA. This fundraising is often upwards of $20,000 for a single site.
G.6. Approval of Contracts – Bond
| # | Contractor | Site | Service | Cost |
| Secondary | ||||
| 1 | QKA | SRHS | Architectural design of perimeter fencing | $22,000 |
| District | ||||
| 2 | Greystone West | DO | digitizing blueprints | $25,000 |
Measure C = $41,000.00
Measure G =$6,000.00
Total = $47,000.00
G.7. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Consultants Pool
Based on the review of proposals and the overall scoring matrix, the following four (4) firms are recommended for approval to be part of the CEQA pool for Measure C and G projects:
● Brelje & Race Consulting Engineers
● Grassetti Environmental Consulting
● Placeworks
● Terraphase Engineering, Inc.
G.8. District Standards – Electric Vehicle (EV) Chargers
Approval of the resolution to select ChargePoint as the District’s standard electric vehicle charger. This will enable the implementation of district-wide electric vehicle charging systems to avoid issues with product incompatibility, replacement, stocking, and maintenance. This item is presented in preparation for implementation of charging stations in the future.
G.9. Approval of Brain Waves Educational Psychology Contract
The Board will consider the ratification of the Brain Waves Educational Psychology Contract to conduct an Independent Educational Evaluation for a student with an IEP.
Cost: $5,500
G.10. Approval of 24-25 Working Professional and Confidential Employees Salary Schedule for CalPERS Compliance with 2.7% Increase and Car Allowance for District’s Confidential Administrative Assistants
The Board will consider approving the 24-25 Working Professional and Confidential Employees Salary Schedule for CalPERS compliance with 2.7% increase, and a vehicle allowance for the Confidential Administrative Assistant of Business Services and Human Resources.
The total approximate financial impact is $16,298.97
-For the 2.7% on salary schedule with associated benefits it is approximately $11,058.70
-For the $200 auto allowance for the 12 months is approximately $2,620.13 per employee
Working Professional Salary Schedule
How much do these employees drive in a year? Why is the auto allowance annually $220.13 more than twelve times the stated $200 per month?
SRTA requests that all members who regularly use their vehicles for work be put on a fair stipend to eliminate the current monthly paperwork required.
G.11. Approval of Annual Update to the HTS Transportation Plan in order to qualify for 60% reimbursement
The Board will consider approval of the Home to School Transportation Plans for 2025/26, which qualifies SRCS to receive 60% reimbursement for prior year home to school costs.
Transportation Plan (Elementary) (High)
H.1-2. Approval of Minutes
March 12, 2025 Minutes and Supporting Documents (Regular Meeting)
March 12, 2025 Minutes and Supporting Documents (Special Meeting)
J.1. Future Board Discussion Items (not included in this agenda)
SRTA members are encouraged to prepare for the upcoming agenda items.
- Resolution in Support of National Sexual Assault Awareness Month
- Resolution Celebrating CNS Professionals Week
- Child Nutrition Services Update
SRTA members are encouraged to prepare for the upcoming agenda items.
SRTA looks to the future scheduling of the following items:
- Resolution Designating April as School Library Month (March 2025)
- Resolution Recognizing March 31st as Transgender Day of Visibility (March 2025)
- Deferred Maintenance Discussion (from January and March 2025)
- Restorative Practices Data (March 2025)
- Alternate Education Update (December 2024, Feb 2025)
- There is a strong need for Alternative placements for secondary students who need more services than our comprehensive schools are able to provide. How can SRCS meet the needs of these students during these tough financial times?
- VAPA Program Highlights (Feb 2025)
- 2025 Ballot for CSBA Delegate Assembly (Feb 2025)
- Strategic Plan and Equity Survey (Feb 2025)
- CTE Update (January 2025)
- Can this be incorporated into the CTE Tech Ed Resolution in future years? Can this item please include both historical and current enrollment numbers and budgets? Can the various grants be explicitly explained including financial resource utilization? Can there also be clear communication of which programs offer a third year capstone course.
- Updated Governance Handbook (January 2025)
- Plan and timeline for implementation of Dr. Gillespie’s recommendations (January 2024)
- Superintendent Morales’ Listening and Learning Tour Update (November 2024)
- SRTA members would like to understand the expected impact from momentary drop ins, and how this use of time and resources is evaluated.
- Public Hearing and Approval of Teamsters Union 665 “Sunshine” Proposal (delayed from Oct 2024)
- First Draft of the District Safety Plan (delayed from September 2024)
- Board Update of Strategic Goals with input from sites (begun June 2024)
- Sharing the support plans for PIP and Variable Term Waiver hires. (Board request August 24)
- Sharing the updated EL Master Plan with implementation expectations
- Sharing the Library Master Plan with implementation expectation
- Officially Closing Learning House
- SRACS Accelerated Charter Material Revision Request (delayed)
- Unification/Redistricting Decision
- Renaming of Sites Update/Decision
- Plan for Staff Housing support program from the proceeds of Fir Ridge
Until the district makes a decision, the proceeds from the sale of the Fir Ridge property are just sitting and losing value as the cost of housing continues to rise. Getting a program started could help SRCS attract and retain CSEA staff. The potential impact of the funds diminishes as time passes.
- Student Voice Policy
- BEST Plus Update
- Does SRCS still self identify as a BEST Plus district?
J. 3. School Site Reports
- HVES
- MHS
Video