March 1, 2012 Board Meeting

Board of Education Meeting

4:30 p.m. Closed Session
6:30 p.m. Open Session

Agenda Items

9.0 STRATEGIC PLAN AND OTHER INITIATIVES

9.1 Resolution No. 2687 Authorizing the Issuance and Sale of the 2011-12 Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRAN)

Powerpoint

9.2  Transition Plan Update for Freeport Elementary School

Powerpoint

9.3  Resolution No. 2690: Closure of A.M. Winn  Elementary School

CEQA Initial Study

Addendum to CEQA Initial Study

Powerpoint

9.4  Design Team Updates 

Powerpoint

9.5 Charter School Renewal Petition 鈥 George Washington Carver School of Arts and Science, a Waldorf-Inspired High School

Revised Renewal Petition

Powerpoint

9.6 Charter School Renewal Petition 鈥 茄子视频 New Technology High School

Revised Renewal Petition

Powerpoint

10.0 CONSENT AGENDA 

10.1a Approve Grants, Entitlements and other Income Agreements, Ratification of Other Agreements, Approval of Bid Awards, Approval of Declared Surplus Materials and Equipment, Change Notices and Notices of Completion

10.1b Approve Personnel Transactions

10.1c Approve 2012 California School Boards Association (CSBA) Delegate Assembly Election for Subregion 6-B (茄子视频 County)

10.1d Approve Resolution No. 2691 Adopting Specifications of the Election Order and for Consolidation with Statewide General Election

10.1e Approve Sutter Middle School Field Trip to Ashland, Oregon, March 21-23, 2012 to attend the Shakespeare Festival

10.1f Approve John F. Kennedy High School Field Trip to Washington, D.C. May 13-18, 2012

10.1g Approve Sutter Middle School Field Trip to Ashland, Oregon, March 7-9, 2012 to attend the Shakespeare Festival

10.1h Approve C.K. McClatchy High School Field Trip to Ashland, Oregon April 24-26, 2012 to attend Shakespeare Festival

10.1i Approve Sutter Middle School Field Trip to Ashland, Oregon, March 19-21, 2012 to attend Shakespeare Festival

10.1j Approve Sutter Middle School Field Trip to Ashland, Oregon, March 19-21, 2012 to attend Shakespeare Festival

10.1k Approve Board of Education Contract for Legal Services

10.1l Approve 茄子视频 New Technology High School Field Trip to Puerto Rico, May 30 鈥 June 6, 2012

11.0 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION / REPORTS

11.1 Business and Financial Report:
鈥 Purchase Order Board Report for the Period of January 15, 2012 through February 14, 2012
鈥 Enrollment and Attendance Report for Month 5 Ending January 27, 2012

 Video Archive

Contact the Board of Education Office at (916) 643-9314.

Response to Public Questions

1. If the district is laying-off over 300 classified and 400 teachers, why is the district advertising to hire an Assistant Superintendent Capital Asset Management Services?

Response:  We have suspended the hiring of the Assistant CAMS position until further notice.

2. If the district is laying-off over 300 classified and 400 teachers, why is the district advertising to hire a Director III for Child Development?  Doesn鈥檛 the District already have enough Director positions?

Response:  The position is currently staffed with an interim. Due to the scope (the program provides continuous, intensive and comprehensive center-based and home-based services to over 2,700 infants/toddlers, preschool and school-age children) and magnitude (federal and state regulations) of the program coupled with the specific knowledge and skill-set needed to lead, a permanent director is warranted.

3. Is it true that the district is cutting transportation in order not to close schools?

Response:  The elimination of home to school transportation was approved in order to provide a balanced 2012-13 budget to the 茄子视频 County Office of Education.

4. If the district eliminates the home to school transportation, how will students who parents are not able to transport their child to school get to school? Is it safe for young children to be walking the streets in 茄子视频 City traffic?

Response:  With the elimination of home to school transportation, every effort will be made to ensure the safety of our students. 

5. How does the district plan on protecting the students who have to walk through neighborhoods who have registered sex offenders?  Isn鈥檛 this an exposure putting young students at risk?

Response: The Safe Schools office is working with Sac PD and the traffic engineers from the City to devise ideas for student safety such as walking attendants, 鈥渨alking鈥 school buses, and crossing guards.  We are applying for grants for pedestrian safety education.  We are working with 鈥淲alk 茄子视频,鈥 a local community organization to devise safe routes to schools. 

Safe Schools will also work directly with school sites to promote pedestrian safety through school-wide assemblies.

6. I would like to know if it is true if the district has spent millions of dollars through the governance committee for outside consultants.  If they did, is this a good use of public funds?  Could have this money have been better spent by putting it into the classroom or on keeping the athletic, band or after school activities going?

Response:  Please refer to the budget presentations on contracts at Board meetings for details of funds spent on contractual services. You may also find more Budget Questions and Answers.

The majority (77%) of funds spent on outside vendors is restricted in use by law and cannot be used to address the district鈥檚 budget deficit. This includes services such as Special Education and federally mandated tutoring for students in Program Improvement schools.

For example, in 2010-11, all SCUSD contracted services totaled $36.9 million. Of this, the following funds went to mandated or restricted programs, meaning they could not under any circumstances be used to balance our budget:

  • $17.9 million to non-public schools (for the placement of students with special needs as required by law)
  • $8 million to programs paid for by categorical (restricted) funds, such as Title I, Title III and Economic Impact Aid
  • $2.4 million to federally mandated after-school Supplemental Educational Support (SES) tutoring
  • $259,000 to schools directly

Of the remaining $8.3 million in unrestricted funds:

  • $3.7 million went to fund an incentive for former employees (mostly certificated staff) who retired early to save the District money
  • $1.5 million went to 茄子视频 Police Department for school resource officers in high schools and middle schools
  • $660,000 went to legal fees, including litigation defense
  • $139,890 went to insurance costs, including liability insurance for all district schools and employees
  • $129,000 was used for the district鈥檚 automated telephone parent notification system
  • $100,000 went to the Department of Justice for fingerprinting of potential employees and volunteers

For 2012-13, SCUSD is aggressively reducing costs associated with contracts to vendors in areas that can affect the deficit. Nineteen contracts will be reduced and/or eliminated entirely in 2012-13. Click here for a complete breakdown on contracted services for the last five years and to learn which contracts are being reduced and/or eliminated next year.

7. I have heard that the district contracts with 茄子视频 Police Department for the School Resource program at a cost of approximately $125,000.00 plus dollars per year per officer. Is this true?

Response: The cost per officer is $96,663; the cost for one Sergeant is $126,274. The contract has been reduced to $750,000 for the 2011-12 school year. For the 2011-12 school year, the SPD provided $1,403,866 worth of free-of-charge direct contributions, and $860,491 of indirect contributions, not charged to SCUSD.

This includes, but  not limited to:

  • Campus Monitor Training - $20,000
  • Magnet Program which includes a sergeant and three officers - $553,272
  • Einstein Middle School SRO 鈥 $130,435
  • 鈥淔loater鈥 SRO to ensure comprehensive coverage 鈥 $130,435
  • Summer Personnel costs 鈥 $285,394
  • Overtime not billed to SCUSD 鈥 $89,193
  • SCUSD Lieutenant 鈥 $194,137

Total $1,403,866

  • COPS Save our Schools Grant 鈥 $221,182
  • Magnet High School Support funding via the 茄子视频 Police Foundation 鈥 $30,000
  • Magnet High School funding from the California Partnership Academy -$240,000
  • CalGRIP for SCUSD Gang Intervention and Prevention 鈥 $369,309

Total $860,491

Reduction in thefts/burglaries

SCPD supports:

  • Principal Support
    • Provide a direct contact for law enforcement and fire
    • Extend support to Non-SRO covered schools
    • Follow Up Investigations
  • Maintenance and Operations
  • Connect Center
  • Training
  • Management Support
  • Reorganization of Security Services
  • Evaluation of Alarm Monitoring Services
  • CPTED Assessments of all sites
  • Restructured Communications Protocols
  • FCC Narrowbanding
  • District Wide Identification Services
  • Site Security
  • Safe Routes to School Program
  • Gang Violence Prevention and Intervention Project Advisory Council
  • Improved District Office Security Measures
  • Site Safety Coordinator project
  • Project AIM
  • Evaluation of District Policing Needs
  • District Committee Appointments
  • CSSPs

Audit:

  • Security and Site Safety Plans
  • Deployment of Resources
  • Effectiveness of Security Components
  • Communication Effectiveness
  • Internal and External Safety measures
  • Relationship between local law enforcement and the sites

SPD work collaboratively with the district on the following:

  • Policy Development
  • Grant Procurement and Management
  • Rapid Assessment Team
  • Safety and Security Project
  • Rapid Responder Management and Tracking
  • Technical and Safety Expertise to the Sites

SPD collaborate with the following departments:

  • Student Hearing Office
  • Dropout Prevention Services
  • Youth Development
  • Attendance Intervention Management (Project AIM) Truancy Center
  • Human Resources

Grants Obtained:

  • REMS
  • COPS- Save our Schools
  • CalGRIP IV
  • Gang Violence Suppression Program (GVS)
  • Safe Routes to School
  • California Wellness Endowment

8. I have heard and is this true that SCUSD leases the patrol cars for the school police resource program from 茄子视频 City Police Department at a cost of approximately $1,000.00 per car per month for 10 months out of the year?  If this is true, isn鈥檛 this a lot of money to be paying for used cars? The monthly rate per patrol car is $1,200 per vehicle (includes equipment and maintenance).

Response: The monthly rate per patrol car is $1,200 per vehicle (includes equipment and maintenance).

9. How much money was saved through the furloughs and where is that money now or if it is gone 鈥 where was it sent?

Response:  Savings generated from furlough days for all employees for the 2011-12 fiscal year were used to offset the budget deficit.  Without those furlough days, additional personnel and programmatic reductions would have been necessary to maintain a balanced budget.