MHUSD board approves CSMH’s five-year renewal

With a promise from its leadership to take measures to establish a more diverse student population, the Charter School of Morgan Hill was unanimously approved for a new five-year extension by Morgan Hill Unified School District’s board of education.
Much of the Sept. 29 special meeting, which was heavily attended by members of CSMH school community inside the Live Oak High School Theater, was devoted to fixing the student demographic makeup of the only MHUSD-authorized charter school. The CSMH’s current five-year agreement expires June 30, 2016.
Two of the eight stipulations attached to the renewal resolution, which will run through June 2021, touched on the sensitive issue. The most impactful mechanism was switching to a weighted lottery enrollment system “that gives a 2 to 1 preference to Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students (SED) and English Learners (EL).” Those two groups make up merely 4 percent and 2 percent, respectively, of CSMH’s current 618-member student body, compared to 43 percent and 20 percent within MHUSD schools.
Furthermore, the resolution requests that charter leaders “work in partnership with the district to review the outreach plan and revise as necessary to achieve a more diverse population at CSMH, reflective of the district’s demographics.”
“We recognize that we need to increase the number of students that are English Learners and Socioeconomically Disadvantaged,” said CSMH Principal Paige Cisewski at Tuesday night’s meeting. “In the renewal document, we have created a 2 to 1 weighted lottery system to assist in this area and are currently researching the purchase of a bus to help with their transportation issues.”
Located in south San Jose at 9530 Monterey Road, the charter school facility poses transportation problems for families that may have both parents working full-time jobs or those without a car of their own to make the daily eight-mile ride north of town.
This is not the first time district staff has requested that CSMH leaders take action to ensure its charter student population is more reflective of the MHUSD enrollment population, according to Superintendent Steve Betando. Criteria was written into the two previous renewal resolutions in 2006 and 2010. However, CSMH demographics trended in the opposite direction from the 2013-14 to the 2014-15 school years, according to the district’s review.
MHUSD school district boundaries cover 296.77 square miles, stretching from south San Jose to San Martin, according to the 21-page district review of CSMH.
“We have to commend the CSMH for taking that leap,” said Betando of the change to a weighted lottery system. “This is a step that we believe will have an impact.”
CSMH, a kindergarten through eighth grade school that was initially granted its charter in 2001, holds an enrollment lottery each year due to the high demand and keeps a waiting list of more than 400 families hoping for a spot to open up.
Along with student enrollment and demographics, MHUSD staff, tasked with reviewing CSMH’s 923-page renewal document, hit on the 16 elements for a charter school petition review, including school budget finances, teacher qualifications, curriculum, services and programs, and governing body.
Other stipulations attached to the new five-year deal included providing a balanced budget plan that eliminates deficit spending; submitting month-by-month and multi-year cash flow projections; ensuring current CSMH staff is CLAD certified; implementing mandatory background checks for all on-campus volunteers; and placing a MHUSD representative on the CSMH governing body.
When it came to the business of student test scores, the district requested that CSMH and MHUSD staff work together to “produce common and fair data reporting protocols so as to provide parents and community an accurate picture of student achievement that reflects the educational program and considers the demographic makeup of the school.”
MHUSD’s seven-member board also reviewed the lengthy renewal application and district staff analysis prior to Tuesday’s vote. Trustees said they received hundreds of emails from CSMH supporters with varying tones and messages.
“I wholeheartedly support the approval of the renewal of CSMH,” said Trustee Amy Porter-Jensen, who praised the charter school’s teachers and programs. “I feel confident that the weighted lottery system and implementation of the bussing will help diversify the student population.”
Trustee David Gerard hoped that MHUSD and CSMH officials were sincere about improving collaboration efforts, while Board President Bob Benevento similarly requested that charter leaders work with MHUSD officials to reach the goal of student diversity.
CSMH also received a glowing endorsement from the local teachers union, known as the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers, that has starkly opposed other charter organizations that petitioned to open schools in Morgan Hill.
Aug. 5: Petition submitted to MHUSD
Aug. 13: MHUSD requests a mutual extension in accordance with Ed Code 47605(b)
Aug. 24: CSMH Board of Directors declines extension request
Sept. 1: MHUSD hearing on CSMH renewal petition
Sept. 2: Onsite Staff visit to CSMH
Sept. 14: Superintendent meets with CSMH leadership team to review initial analysis
Sept. 23: Superintendent meets with CSMH leadership team to review terms of Memorandum of Understanding
Sept. 29: MHUSD Board votes 7-0 to approve five-year renewal
*CSMH opened in 2001, renewed in 2006 and 2010