Situation:  

Education Code Section (E.C.) 60119 requires that the governing board of a school district hold an annual instructional materials public hearing to determine whether the district has sufficient standards-aligned textbooks and instructional materials.  The governing board shall hold a public hearing and shall make a determination as to whether each pupil in each school in the district has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials or both to use in class and to take home.  The language does not require two sets of textbooks or instructional materials for each pupil regardless of whether homework is assigned.

In addition, the governing board determines whether or not each student in a foreign language or health course has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials, and also determines the availability of lab science equipment for science laboratory courses offered in grades 9-12.  

Adoption of a resolution stating whether textbooks and instructional materials are sufficient is also required.

Plan:

For the Board to approve the resolution to comply with the requirements of Educational Code 60119.

Submitted/Recommended by:

Tony Hua, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services

Situation:

Education Code Section 60119, specifies that in order to receive funds available for Pupil Textbook and Instructional Materials, the governing board shall hold a public hearing and shall make a determination as to whether each pupil in each school in the district has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials that are consistent with the content and cycles of the curriculum framework adopted by the state board in math, science, history-social science, and English/language arts.  In addition, the governing board determines whether or not each student in a foreign language or health course has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials, and also determines the availability of lab science equipment for science laboratory courses offered in grades K-6.

Plan:

For the Board to approve this resolution to comply with the requirements of Educational Code 60119.

Submitted/Recommended by:

Tony Hua, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services

For the Board to approve.

Situation:

Education Code Section 60119, specifies that in order to receive funds available for Pupil Textbook and Instructional Materials, the governing board shall hold a public hearing and shall make a determination as to whether each pupil in each school in the district has cycles of the curriculum framework adopted by the state board in math, science, history-social science, and English/language arts.  In addition, the governing board determines whether or not each student in a foreign language or health course has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials, and also determines the availability of lab science equipment for science laboratory courses offered in grades 7-12.

Plan:

For the Board to approve.

Submitted/Recommended by:

Tony Hua, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services

For the Board to approve.

Situation:

The Petition for the establishment of Magnolia Global Academy for Leaders Charter School (“Petition”) was submitted to the District on August 27, 2021.  Pursuant to Education Code section 47605, on October 12, 2021, the Petaluma City Schools Board of Education (“Board”) held a public hearing on the provisions of the Petition, at which time the Board considered the level of support for the Petition by teachers employed by the District, other employees of the District, and parents/guardians.  

Per Education Code section 47605 the Board shall either grant or deny the Petition within 90 days from receipt of the Petition.  The petitioners were informed that the Board’s decision whether to grant or deny the Petition would be agendized for action at this November 15, 2021, Special Board meeting, and were previously provided a copy of the Staff Report that was also posted in the District’s website on November 1, 2021.

Education Code section 47605 sets forth the legal requirements for the establishment of charter schools. The District’s staff, with assistance from legal counsel, conducted a comprehensive analysis of the Petition and documents submitted with the Petition.  Based on that comprehensive analysis, numerous deficiencies in, and concerns related to, the Petition and the proposed charter school’s operations have been identified, and it has been determined that more than one of the legal grounds for denial under Education Code section 47605 exist. 

Specifically, as outlined in the Staff Report, the petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the proposed education program, the Petition does not provide a reasonably comprehensive description of several essential charter elements, and the petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to serve the interests of the entire community in which the charter school is proposing to locate for reasons including the fiscal impact the proposed charter school will have on the District to the detriment of existing services, and the academic and programmatic offerings of the District. 

The specific factual and legal grounds supporting denial are set forth in the Findings in Support of Denial included in the attached Staff Report dated October 29, 2021.

Plan:

Staff recommends denial of the Petition for the establishment of the Magnolia Global Academy for Leaders Charter School.

Submitted/Recommended by:

Matthew Harris, Superintendent

For the Board to deny the Petition for the establishment of the Magnolia Global Academy for Leaders Charter School and adopt the Findings in Support of Denial under Section V of the October 29, 2021 Staff Report as the Board’s written findings in support of the denial.