Trustee area boundary lines drawn up for a by-district election system and district plans for grade level reconfiguration top the general agenda items to be discussed at the April 21 Board of Education meeting for the Morgan Hill Unified School District.
Meanwhile, major Measure G projects at several elementary schools as well as the superintendent’s travel expenses highlight Tuesday’s consent calendar, which the board typically votes on in one single vote unless otherwise requested.
District demographer Douglas Johnson, President of National Demographics Corporation, will give a presentation on three different models for boundary lines to designate district areas for the seven school board trustees.
Last month, the board unanimously decided to hire the demographer to map out the districts after a Hispanic group demanded the use of by-district elections and threatened a lawsuit under the California Voters Rights Act if no steps were taken.
Currently, MHUSD uses an at-large election system, in which all voters elect any of the seven members whose seats have expired. In a by-district system—which has a goal of providing more opportunity for candidates of an under-represented group to win election—voters can only vote for candidates within their trustee areas.
Trustees will listen to the merits of each boundary model during a public hearing where members of the public are invited to give their opinions on the issue. The district will hold a second future public hearing, determine which boundary model is best and then decide whether to hold a special election for residents to vote on the idea or seek a waiver from the California Department of Education. Such a waiver would allow the trustees to vote on which election system to use.
Once that public hearing is closed at the April 21 meeting, district staff will report back to the board members on the recent grade level configuration community meetings they have been hosting at select school sites over the last month. The district initially introduced the idea of moving sixth grade students from the elementary schools and into the middle schools at the March 24 meeting.
At that time, a grade level reconfiguration committee recommended a kindergarten through fifth grade model for elementary schools (excluding the K-8 format at Jackson Academy of Math & Music), sixth through eighth grade format for middle schools and a ninth through 12th grade format for high schools. However, with some pushback from three trustees, the district slowed the process to include more community input to gauge interest in the change before moving forward. Tuesday’s meeting will provide that input.
Already approved by the board and listed in the consent calendar are several Measure G projects (the $198 million voter-approved capital improvements bond) that are moving ahead with the district’s request to gain delegation of authority to grant contracts for the following:
•$1,446,228 for the P.A. Walsh Parking Lot Project, which includes “improvements to the West Main Parking Lot and the creation of a new Student Drop-off and Parking Lot on Peak Avenue.;
•$540,000 for P.A. Walsh Multi-use Modernization Project, which includes “improvements to accommodate handicap accessibility, restroom modernization and general upgrades to the Multi-use Building.”;
•$681,800 for the San Martin/Gwinn Environmental Science Courtyard Project, which includes “creation of a new drop-off and parking lot on Llagas Avenue and on-site improvements to create an Environmental Science Courtyard.”; and
•$800,000 for the Jackson, Nordstrom and Paradise Valley Fire Alarm Upgrade Project.
Also under consent—and something that has become a dicey issue among board members—is professional development travel expenses. In this case, the reimbursement is for Superintendent Steve Betando for his attendance at various conferences totaling $7,215.15, dating back to Aug. 2014.
The previous board—which changed three of seven members in the Nov. 2014 election—rejected Trustee Rick Badillo’s request for reimbursement after he attended two conferences without prior board approval. The current board denied prior approval for travel expenses for two other board members—Gino Borgioli and David Gerard—who planned to attend a California School Boards Association program in San Diego. The school board has a loose $13,000 total cap for professional development per school year. Currently, they are working on a policy that would allow for each trustee to expense up to $3,000 per year, but that has not yet been voted on.
Other items on the consent calendar include:
•$30,441 in Special Education Services contracts (added to general fund) with AchieveKids ($1,600), Second Start/Pine Hill ($23,826) and Social Vocational Services, Inc. ($5,015);
•$2,350 contract (from LCFF-Free and Reduced Funds) with Community Matters for professional development services workshop scheduled for June 12;
•$10,000 contract (from LCFF Supplemental Funds) with Project Cornerstone for programs and services for the 2015-16 school year to “support MHUSD’s efforts to provide a positive school climate for all of its students and to increase parent engagement;”
•$25,000 contract (from general fund) with Cal-SOAP Services to “remain or become an active member of the South County Gilroy Cal-SOAP Consortium for the program fiscal year 2015-2016;”
•$13,200 contract (from cafeteria fund) with Janet Felice for Student Nutrition Department “to assist in the Student Nutrition Department through the end of school year” while the district recruits a Director of Student Nutrition and Records Retention position;
•$7,950 contract (from transportation budget) with CASC Consulting for the Storm Water Management Program; and
•Agreement with City of Morgan Hill to “adjust cost sharing percentages” for offsite improvements for the P.A. Walsh Elementary School Parking Lot Project.
Closed session begins at 4:30 p.m. at the 15600 Concord Circle district office with public session expected to begin around 6 p.m. inside the boardroom.
