The Board will meet in closed session to discuss the items on the closed session agenda.  

Please join us as we recognize outstanding contributions that our district teachers have made who received Excellence in Education Awards and Nominations at the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce Education & Business Partnership Breakfast this past August 2016.

Santa Rosa City Schools congratulates all of our local educators as well as the Excellence in Education  nominees and winners!

Nearly 300 community and business leaders came together over breakfast earlier this week to honor teachers at the Education & Business Partnership Breakfast. A total of 35 educators -- from preschool to college -- were nominated by their schools for the Excellence in Education Awards.

PG&E, the event's Gold Star Sponsor, has demonstrated a tremendous level of commitment to both education and the community by generously donating over $180,000 during the past 12 years in grants in support of this event. These funds are distributed directly to the teachers recognized for their excellence in education.

Success and sustainability for our future lies in our youth of today, and the Chamber congratulates all of our local educators as well as the Excellence in Education nominees and award winners. 

Nominees and Award Winners of the Excellence in Education Awards

ELEMENTARY LEVEL

David Heaney, Luther Burbank Elementary (Award Winner)
Heather Hecker,  Albert F. Biella Elementary
Laura Lee,  James Monroe Elementary School
Michelle Meislahn, Brook Hill Elementary School
Rosie Muldoon, Helen Lehman Elementary
Louise Silk, Steele Lane Elementary School
Carolyn Smith,  Abraham Lincoln Elementary School

MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL

Alexis Behrens, Hilliard Comstock Middle School
Robyn Hidas,  Slater (Herbert) Middle School
Kasia King, Hilliard Comstock Middle School
Kathy Lacey, Lawrence Cook Middle School
Sandi Martin,  Slater (Herbert) Middle School (Award Winner)
Jessica McNiff, Lawrence Cook Middle School
Jay Meyer,  Rincon Valley Middle School
Cynthia Miles,  Santa Rosa Middle School
Kateland Weighall,  Rincon Valley Middle School (Award Winner)
Natasha Whitfield,  Santa Rosa Middle School

HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL

Trevor Brady,  Maria Carrillo High School
Kristie Coleman, Elsie Allen High School (Award Winner)
Karen Coster,  Piner High School
Debbie Grove,  Piner High School
Brian Halloran, Elsie Allen High School
Simone Harris,  Montgomery High School
Jim Holland,  Montgomery High School
Kenny Knowlton,  Santa Rosa High School
Susan Pearson,  Santa Rosa High School
Joe Sims,  Maria Carrillo High School (Award Winner)

For more information and view more photos:

http://www.santarosachamber.com/news/2016/08/17/main/honoring-local-teachers-for-excellence-in-education/

Members of the public may address the Board on matters within the subject matter of its jurisdiction. Please submit a Speaker Card to the Board Secretary prior to the meeting being called to order. Upon recognition by the Board President, please approach the podium. The Board shall take no action or discussion on any item not appearing on the posted agenda, except as authorized by law (BB 9323(2)). Speakers are limited to three minutes each (BB 9323(5)). Should a member of the public have comments that pertain to a complaint against an employee of the District, the Board advises that the matter should first be pursued using the appropriate district complaint procedure (BB 9323(6).

All consent items are enacted by the Board in one motion, unless a Board member requests that an item be removed and discussed separately.

The Board will consider approval of the absence of Board Member(s), if necessary, due to illness, jury duty, or due to a hardship deemed acceptable by the Board in accordance with Education Code Section 35120.

The Board will consider approval of the personnel transactions submitted.

The Board will consider approval of the vendor warrants submitted.  The attached warrant register lists all vendors for the period September 8, 2016 through September 15, 2016 for a total of $2,238,413.18.

Staff is presenting the following Fiscal Services’ items for Board Approval:

1.  Warrant Register Summary
2.  Warrant Register List

The financially significant vendor warrants include:

Warrants for the period of September 8, 2016 through September 15, 2016 total $2,238,413.18. Total warrants paid from July 1, 2016 through September 15, 2016 for the District total $14,450,441.41.

The Board will consider approval of the donations and gifts submitted.

Parents, students, community members, and businesses make donations and give gifts to the schools on a regular basis. Donations come in the form of money, goods, or services. These donations are appreciated and welcomed by the schools and departments.

Donations received since the last Board report on September 14 is $5,625.63. This brings the year to date total for donations District-wide to $90,822.48.

The Board will consider approval of the contracts submitted.

Various schools and departments are submitting contracts for approval to provide the specified services within each contract. 

Fiscal Impact:       Addressed individually on the summary sheet  
Learning Impact:  Addressed individually on the summary sheet

The Board will consider approval of Resolution No. 2016-17/018 adopting an updated Conflict of Interest Code.

Every other year, the County Board of Supervisors requires that districts review their conflict of interest code and determine the positions that need to complete a Form 700 Statement of Economic Interests. We last updated our listing in 2012 and no updates were necessary in 2014.  However, some positions titles have recently changed, making it necessary to update the listing this year.

For information on Conflict of Interest Codes, please click on the links below to view Government Code Sections 87200 and 87300.  

Gov Code Section 82000  
Gov Code Section 83000

The Board will consider approval of the proposed 2016-2017 Student Internship Agreement between Santa Rosa City Schools and Alliant International University.

The agreement contains all of the requirements requested by the SRCS district.  The SRCS frequently has a need for student interns and student teachers.  This agreement will provide us with access to potential candidates to fill district vacancies.

The Board will consider approval of a meal contract with REFB for CNS for the 2016-17 school year.  

CNS will prepare and deliver supper and snacks for students attending after-school program at 21 locations throughout Sonoma County. Service will begin in September 2016 and will end in June 2017. CNS has been supplying supper and snacks for this program for over ten years.

Reimbursement to CNS will be $3.05 for each meal and $1.05 for each snack. In addition, Redwood Emprie Food Bank will pay a $10.00 delivery charge for meals delivered to Sonoma and Rohnert Park. This reimbursement rates not only allow CNS to cover its costs but also provides a profit.

The Board will consider approval of a Federal Demonstration Partnership Cost Reimbursement Research Subaward Agreement (FDP Subaward) between Santa Rosa City Schools and Sonoma State University for the purpose of providing professional development for Project Make the Way.

Project Make the Way will annually provide 84 hours or professional development to a cohort of K-8 teachers.  The teachers will learn to effectively integrate grade-appropriate Maker activities with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) contexts to drive students’ learning of mathematics. 

$150,569 paid from Project Make the Way grant funds.

The Board will consider renewal of the Section 132(f) Tax Free Transportation Program (Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program) to our current benefit offerings. The Commuter Benefits Program will be administered by the Arrow Benefits Group. California Senate Bill 1339 requires the addition of Commuter Benefits Program by all Bay Area employers who have more than 50 full-time employees. All areas of Sonoma County south of Windsor are mandated to add this program.  The program was added in September 2014.

This is an agreement between the Arrow Benefits Group and Santa Rosa City Schools to continue the State mandated Commuter Benefits Program. The Commuter Benefits Program enables eligible employees to set aside tax free dollars for the following:

• Transit Passes and/or Vanpool (combined): $277 per month 

With the Board's recognition of September as Attendance month, this update from the truancy intervention in the district will highlight current actions and future projects.

Since last May 11, 2016 Truancy Prevention Committee report, there continues to be a strong recognition of increased attendance as a key indicator of student success. Reports from the State Attorney General's Office and the National Department of Education now emphasize the importance of addressing not only "Truancy" but in general all missed absences from school. This focus on "Chronic Absenteeism" has now become one of the accountability indicators approved by the State Board of Education and the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP).

This update outlines some of the data received from the end of last school year with our "Keeping Kids In School" community partnership. It also describes current progress on the implementation of the committee's goals and outlines this school year's work.

Previous updates were presented on September 9, 2015, January 13, 2016 and May 11, 2016.

With 2015-2016 data not validated by the state yet, in 2014-15 Santa Rosa City Schools incurred a loss in revenue of $497,593.55 as result of 263 K-12 students missing 8,615 full days of school and critical instructional and learning time.

This data breaks down as follows:

Elementary:     3,140 days absent X    $57.67/day =  $181,083.80

Secondary: 5,475 days absent    X   $57.81/day =     $316,509.75

Total 8,615 days absent  $497,593.55

Report of Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium/California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (SBAC/CAASPP) scores for Santa Rosa City Schools.

Recently, the California Department of Education (CDE) released data from the Spring 2016 administration of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) assessments. These assessments are given to students in grades 3-8 and 11 and are designed to assess California State Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics. This is the second year that these computer based assessments have been used to measure student performance California Standards.

In the elementary district, 36% of the students met or exceeded the standard in English Language Arts (ELA), and 27% of the students met or exceeded the standard in Math.  In the high school district, 49% of students met or exceeded the standard in ELA and 35% of students met or exceeded the standard in Math. Overall, in Sonoma County, 49% of students met or exceeded the standard in ELA and 36% met or exceeded the standard in Math.

The data provided by the CAASPP assessments indicate that Santa Rosa City Schools needs to continue to focus on implementation of the new standards, by providing professional development to teachers, staff, and administrators.  Another continued area of focus is intervention with the District providing training to classroom teachers and instructional staff on how to identify students who are struggling to provide the supports necessary to support student achievement.

Source: caaspp.cde.ca.gov. Key: All—All students, White-White ethnicity, Latino-Latino ethnicity, EL-English Learners, ED-Economically Disadvantaged, Sped-Special Education

Detailed assessment results can be reviewed by following these links:

Elementary School District: http://srcs.link/Elem-SBAC-2016  
High School District: http://srcs.link/Sec-SBAC-2016

How are CAASPP scores useful:

With CAASPP results available to staff and the ability to easily view those results in Illuminate Education’s DnA product, teachers have the ability to better inform instruction based on results. As we continue to build capacity in our teachers, CAASPP assessment results can be layered with other test data (Let’s Go Learn, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, Developmental Reading Assessment, and various other skill assessments used at schools) to provide a fuller picture of a student’s relative strengths and areas of improvement. With careful planning, this will allow teachers to create more individualized support for students who need it.

The Board of Education will receive information on professional development in the district,attendance of specific PD, and updates of future professional development opportunities.

The Board of Education has demonstrated their commitment to the students, staff, and parents in Santa Rosa City School with their support of the LCAP process and subsequent approval of various professional development opportunities for staff, parents and students.  The largest investment of the LCAP funding and grants awarded the district is in providing professional development for all staff in the district.   The investment is grounded in the belief that the most significant increase in student learning occurs when teachers are providing best first instruction to all students and administrators, counselors, and classified staff are supporting the teacher providing it.

The LCAP allocated $1,755,375 for Elementary and $1,285,127 for Secondary for all professional development costs.

Three additional days added to the calendar          1,335,000

Training, extended day pay, sub costs                    1,705,502

Total                                                                         3,040,502

The Board will consider approval of the following textbook:
The American Journey: A History of the United States
Authors: Goldfield, Abbott, Anderson, et al. ~ Publisher: Pearson, 6th Edition (2011)

Curriculum and Instruction is requesting Board approval of the following textbook, The American Journey: A History of the United States, 2011 edition, to be utilized in the 11th grade U.S. History class at Santa Rosa High School as the required textbook for this course. This is a revised edition to be used in conjunction with the current book, The America's Journey, 2006 edition. As the 2006 edition is no longer being printed, this book will be a bridge to address sufficiency until the  Instructional Materials Committee approves another textbook for U.S. History.  The textbook being brought forward has the same author and much of the same content; however, the 2011 edition is a national title that includes the California specific content of the 2006 edition as well as additional content about national topics.  The Instructional Materials Committee will have its first meeting on September 26, 2016.

The cost for these texts will be paid through the District Lottery funds earmarked for textbook sufficiency.
Total Cost $14,743.02

Approve the following textbook:
The American Journey: A History of the United States
Authors: Goldfield, Abbott, Anderson, et al. ~ Publisher: Pearson, 6th Edition (2011)

Staff is presenting for public hearing a resolution (Education Code 60119) for textbooks or instructional materials sufficiency.  The Williams vs. State of California settlement (August 13, 2004) requires that the public hearing and certification of textbooks or instructional materials occur within the first eight weeks of each school year.

Education Code 60119 requires school district governing boards to hold a public hearing and determine by resolution that each pupil, including English Learners, has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials, or both, that are aligned to the academic content standards and consistent with the content and cycles of the curriculum frameworks adopted by the State Board of Education in the following subjects: English-language arts, including English language development, world language, health, history-social science, mathematics, and science. Education code also requires the Board of Education to determine the availability of laboratory science equipment as applicable to science laboratory courses offered in grades 9 to 12 inclusive.

Failure to comply with Education Code 60119 could result in the loss or reduction of funding through the Instructional Materials Fund Realignment Program.

The Board will consider approval of Resolution No. 2016-17/016 for textbooks and/or instructional materials sufficiency.  (Education Code 60119)  The Williams vs. State of California settlement (August 13, 2004) requires that the public hearing and certification of textbooks or instructional materials occur within the first eight weeks of each school year.

Education Code 60119 requires school district governing boards to hold a public hearing and determine by resolution that each pupil, including English Learners, has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials, or both, that are aligned to the academic content standards and consistent with the content and cycles of the curriculum frameworks adopted by the State Board of Education in the following subjects: English-language arts, including English language development, world language, health, history-social science, mathematics, and science. Education Code also requires the Board of Education to determine the availability of laboratory science equipment as applicable to science laboratory courses offered in grades 9 to 12, inclusive.

Failure to comply with Education Code 60119 could result in the loss or reduction of funding through the Instructional Materials Fund Realignment Program.

Approve Resolution No. 2016-17/016 for textbooks and/or instructional materials sufficiency, grades 7-12.

Staff is presenting for public hearing a resolution (Education Code 60119) for textbooks or instructional materials sufficiency.  The Williams vs. State of California settlement (August 13, 2004) requires that the public hearing and certification of textbooks or instructional materials occur within the first eight weeks of each school year.

Education Code 60119 requires school district governing boards to hold a public hearing and determine by resolution that each pupil, including English Learners, has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials, or both, that are aligned to the academic content standards and consistent with the content and cycles of the curriculum frameworks adopted by the State Board of Education in the following subjects: English-language arts, including English language development, history-social science, mathematics, and science.

Failure to comply with Education Code 60119 could result in the loss or reduction of funding through the Instructional Materials fund realignment Program.

The Board will consider approval of Resolution No. 2016-17/017 for textbooks and/or instructional materials sufficiency.  (Education Code 60119)  The Williams vs. State of California settlement (August 13, 2004) requires that the public hearing and certification of textbooks or instructional materials occur within the first eight weeks of each school year.

Education Code 60119 requires school district governing boards to hold a public hearing and determine by resolution that each pupil, including English Learners, has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials, or both, that are aligned to the academic content standards and consistent with the content and cycles of the curriculum frameworks adopted by the State Board of Education in the following subjects: English-language arts, including English language development, History-social science, mathematics, and science.

Failure to comply with Education Code 60119 could result in the loss or reduction of funding through the Instructional Materials Fund Realignment Program.

Approve Resolution No. 2016-17/016 for textbooks and/or instructional materials sufficiency, grades K-6.

Revisions to the "Interdistrict" application process are necessary based on revisions made to the "Open Enrollment" and "Intradistrict" permit application approved in May 2016. 

Based upon CSBA recommendations and modified to conform with changes made to the "Open Enrollment" and "intradistrict" permit policy on May 25, 2016,  these revision are needed to align the two policies. These revisions clarify priorities for permit requests from families outside the Santa Rosa City Schools Boundaries. They bring clarity to the requirements for acceptance and revocation to include students with acceptable:

• Grades,  (2.0 G.P.A.)
• Attendance (90%) and,
• Behaviors, (No Suspensions, Repeated disruptive behaviors) 

These revisions also synchronize both application windows to allow district resident families to have first priority. The window for accepting "Interdistrict" permit requests will be in February and March. This is after "Open Enrollment" and district residents have been placed. 

As a reminder, the new timelines  for Open Enrollment begins soon. They are as follows:

Open Enrollment Timeline and Notification Efforts 

• Window Opens October 1 – November 18:
• Online Apps only
• Computers available at SAFE
•  Mailing 14,000 Post Card notices
• Direct Letter to 6th & 8th grade families
• Flyers for Principal Newsletters
• Phone Dialer to all SRCS families

The Board last made revisions to this policy on November 9, 2011.

The Board will consider approval of Resolution 2016/17-014, recognizing October 2016 as Filipino American History Month in Santa Rosa City Schools.

The Filipino American history month began in 1992, done in recognition of the contribution, culture and heritage that Filipino Americans brought to the United States from the Philippines when they arrived in October of 1587.  California is home to over half of the Filipino population in the USA and the location of historic Filipino communities such as in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Stockton, Vallejo, Delano, San Diego and Salinas among others.

Approve Resolution No. 2016/17-014, recognizing October 2016 as Filipino American History Month in Santa Rosa City Schools.

The Board will consider approval of Resolution No. 2016-17/015 recognizing October 9-15, 2016 as Week of the School Administrator.

CaliforniaEducation Code Section 44015.1 states: "In observance of the importance of educational leadership at the school, school district, and county levels, the second full week in the month of October of each year shall be designated as “Week of the School Administrator.” Schools, school districts, and county superintendents of schools are encouraged to observe the week with public recognition of the contribution that school administrators make to successful pupil achievement."

Administrators work hard to deliver a quality education to students and keep their Boards of Education informed and able to make good policy decisions.  The Board annually is asked to approve a resolution recognizing these contributions.

Approve Resolution No. 2016-17/015 recognizing October 9-15, 2016 as Week of the School Administrator.

There is no discussion on these items as they are presented for informational purposes only.

2015-16 Unaudited Actuals Financial Report for Abraxis Charter School.

A provision of the Abraxis Charter School’s charter is to make available key financial reports for review by the Santa Rosa City School’s Board and Business Office. 

The Business Office has reviewed the attached Abraxis Charter School financial report and forwarded a copy to the Sonoma County Office of Education for their review. The following observations are a result of the District’s review. 

The Abraxis Charter School’s unaudited actual financial report for the 2015-16 fiscal year shows no change to the ending fund balance resulting in an ending balance of $75,441. The ending balance is above the State’s recommended minimum reserve for economic uncertainties of $64,000. The Abraxis Charter School financial condition will continue to be closely monitored.

The unaudited financial statements will be reviewed through the annual audit process of the Charter School and reported to the board in February.

A provision of the Abraxis Charter School's charter is to make available key financial reports for review by the Santa Rosa City School's Board and Business Office.

The Business Office has reviewed the attached Abraxis Charter School 2016-17 adopted budget and from the projections R House will not need to support Abraxis Charter School financially. If the projected enrollment does not materialize, it is recommended that Abraxis Charter School make revisions to their budget at First Interim Report.

2015-16 Unaudited Financial Report - Kid Street Learning Center Charter

A provision of the Kid Street Learning Center Charter's charter is to make available key financial reports for review by the Santa Rosa City School's Board and Business Office.

The Business Office has reviewed the attached Kid Street Learning Center Charter financial report and forwarded a copy to the Sonoma County Office of Education for their review. The following observations are a result of the District's review.

The Kid Street Learning Center Charter's unaudited actual financial report for the 2015-16 fiscal year shows an increase to the ending balance of $238,264 resulting in an ending balance of $1,067,333. The ending balance is well over the State's recommended minimum reserve for economic uncertainties of $64,000.

There are no major concerns with the unaudited financial statements, which will be reviewed through the annual audit process of the Charter School and reported to the board in February.

A provision of the Kid Street Learning Center Charter's charter is to make available key financial reports for review by the Santa Rosa City School's Board and Business Office.

The Business Office has reviewed the attached Kid Street Learning Center Charter's 2016-17 adopted budget and prepared the attached letter.

The Board of Education will be presented with the Local Educational Agency Plan (LEAP) End-of-Year Evidence of Progress Report to be submitted to the California Department of Education (CDE).

As a district in Program Improvement (Pl) Year 3 Corrective Action, we are required to submit an end-of year progress report that describes the district's progress toward implementing the strategies and actions outlined in the LEAP. The report must also contain an analysis of local assessment data that documents progress toward meeting student achievement goals. Finally, the report also documents communication with the Board regarding progress toward achieving the goals of the LEAP.

Utilizing a template provided by the California Department of Education, staff prepared the report that is in the Board report. The End of Year Evidence of Progress Report for school year 2015-2016 will be electronically submitted to the CDE.  The documentation from all Pl Year 3 Corrective Action districts will then be compiled in a summary report for review by the State Board of Education.

State & Federal funds provide the school community with resources to ensure that all students are college and career ready.