Background

One of the 2015-2016 Superintendent’s Goals is tied to the LCAP Goal on Student Engagement and reads as follows:

Current Considerations

Since October 2015 a committee has met and determined new elective offerings for LCHS 7-12 which will augment the already robust elective program but also enhance it by presenting courses with an emphasis on CTE, STEAM, and other areas of curricular need.  The plan emphasizes pathways, scalability, 21^st century learning, and a phase-in implementation model.  A presentation of the elective plan was held for parents on February 22, 2016.

Financial Implications

It is recommended the Governing Board review the presentation and engage in subsequent discussion.

The Governing Board is requested to review the presentation and engage in subsequent discussion.

Background

The Governing Board formally votes to approve/adopt all of the District’s instructional materials.

Current Considerations

The K-12 Core Literature List has not been readopted by the Governing Board since April 2005.  Since that time teachers have recommended deleting, moving and adding selections.  In order to ensure the Board’s familiarity with the list and that it is current, the LCUSD Core Literature List is being brought to the Governing Board for approval.  The Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction has verified with all of the ELA teachers K-12 that the list as presented includes all of their recommendations.  

Financial Implications

There are no immediate financial implications associated with the Governing Board readopting the current Core Literature List.  Instructional materials, including Core Literature selections as needed, are purchased annually with teachers recommending the purchase or replacement of some selections on the list.  The Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, along with the site administrators, oversees the inventory and purchasing of all instructional materials and ensures that orders are appropriate and within budget.

It is recommended that the Governing Board review the Core Literature List and engage in discussion regarding the literature selections and vote to readopt the updated list.

The Governing Board is requested to review the Core Literature List and engage in discussion regarding the literature selections and vote to readopt the updated list.

Background

Over the last five years, significant changes in technology have occurred both at LCUSD and beyond. Bandwidth is a critical component to daily operations in all departments at all sites within the district. We have increased from around 1200 devices total in the district three years ago to nearly 4000 today, with the expectation of another 600 coming next year as 1:1 expands into 6th and 8th grade. In 2017-2018, we can expect an increase of an additional 1000 devices. Our current network has been expanded to capacity and the first affordable step in the building a new network will be the purchase of two firewalls, one for backup, and associated annual security subscriptions.

This will involve a dramatic increase in costs as the technology has evolved greatly since the last firewall purchase, yet the features of a next generation firewall offer great benefits and are now the industry standard in both business and education. For the last six months, the technology department has engaged in product demonstrations, company evaluations, and conference attendance to choose the best solution for our current and future needs. If we are to sustain the connectivity demands on our current network, this purchase must occur this year for daily business, classroom instruction, and state testing demands. This also serves to let us design the new network in the coming years.

Current Considerations

Palo Alto can be purchased outside of the bidding process as it has a piggyback bid set-up through the vendor CDW-G. However, three vendors were considered for the firewall purchase and extensive research has gone into the decision. Ultimately Palo Alto offers features that mirror our goals and safety requirements for education.

Financial Implications

The total cost of ownership for the new firewalls will be $199,893.14 over the next three years. The hardware for the firewall is $35,173.00. In order to protect the connectivity, best practice recommends a back up. Total hardware cost is $70,346. We expect a lifespan of 5 years. With this new firewall, virus and threat prevention, security, and support subscriptions are needed. Annually, the subscription expense will be $39,405. Lastly for the initial set-up, $5000 for installation. It was negotiated to receive nearly 15% discount for the three-year and three trainings vouchers to allow for District staff education. 

It is recommended that the Governing Board approve the purchase of the new firewall and annual security subscriptions so that installation can occur prior to state testing this school year.

The Governing Board is requested to approve the purchase of the new firewall and annual security subscriptions so that installation can occur prior to state testing this school year.