Schools

Cap-and-gown season is creeping up on graduating seniors and their pride-filled parents, and Morgan Hill Unified School District’s end-of-the-school-year schedule includes two June 3 high school graduations.

Each month, the principals of Live Oak and Sobrato High Schools choose a total of four students (two from each school) to spotlight. Live Oak senior Mark Holmstrom, 18 is this week's Student of the Week.

There will be more than 1,000 students attending the Morgan Hill Unified School District’s 2014 summer school programs, but some will have to pay to catch up to grade level.While those students classified as migrant, English Learners or special education will attend free of cost, other high school-aged students who are deficient in their credits must pay a $148 per semester charge for a five-unit recovery, according to MHUSD staff.The 285 migrant students will be covered with Title I funds totaling $62,018, according to MHUSD staff. The 225 English Learners will be covered with Title III funds totaling $65,254. The 165 special education students will be covered with special ed funds of about $175,000.“I’m pleased to see that there’s more help for the high school students who may not be (English learners), special ed or migrant students. It looks like there’s a lot of progress made this year,” said Trustee Amy Porter Jensen of the 250-plus students signed up for credit recovery over the summer. “The number was much lower last year. That’s encouraging, but we need to find a way to get funding for the elementary and junior high kids because that just isn’t available right now.”Trustee Ron Woolf said the lack of funding for summer school courses for all students across the board is a statewide challenge.“I’m sure that every (unified school district) in the state of California is asking the same thing,” said Woolf, noting that years ago more than 3,000 students attended summer school in Morgan Hill for various reasons when funding was available.The May 27 MHUSD district staff report reads, “(The Summer School Plan) will target Kinder Readiness for young migrant students, as well as serve migrant students in K-12, English Learners, and all students eligible on their Individualized Education Plan for the extended school year.”When it comes to summer instruction for middle schoolers, only up to 90 students in those grade levels will be eligible, even if they don’t fall into one of the three funded subgroups, according to MHUSD staff. The Silicon Valley Foundation will fund free Elevated Math and Science programs (formerly called Step up to Algebra and Step up to Science) on the Britton Middle School campus, for these 90 seventh and eighth graders. Students in the Elevated Math and Science programs will focus on critical skills to prepare for success in Common Core standards in math and science, according to district staff. These classes do not provide credit recovery, but rather supplemental instruction. “These two programs support underrepresented students and prepare them for college and careers in the areas of math and science,” reads the May 27 staff report detailing the district’s summer school plan.Other students who are deficient in credits can seek financial assistance if they cannot afford summer school fees, according to the district.The summer school programs will be housed at two locations—Britton Middle School and the Loritta Bonfante Johnson Education Center (85 Tilton Ave. site). The summer school principal is Jennifer Smith. She is in charge of the program which runs from June 16 through July 17.The district is also offering a Seamless Summer Meals Program, served by Food Services, which is free to all students ages 18 and under from 10 a.m. to noon at both locations.Board approves two staff positionsBy a 6-0 vote (Trustee Rick Badillo was not present at the time of the vote), the board approved 15 consent items, including two positions totaling $230,000:—Student Information Systems Coordinator, paying approximately $90,000 and responsible for the accurate data collection and reporting of all student data and—Director Informational Technology and Enrollment, paying approximately $140,000 and responsible for leading the implementation of a district-wide instructional technology plan aligned with curriculum and instruction.Both positions will be paid through the general fund, according to MHUSD staffBefore the consent vote, the Board pulled two items from the list:—The revised job description and hours for the Community Liaison position estimated at $90,000 and—A $138,000 contract with Al Bana Construction for modernization of San Martin/Gwinn Elementary School phase one.More construction costs approvedBy unanimous 7-0 votes, the Board approved the following contracts:—$298,928 contract with Lewis and Tibbitts, Inc. for underground utilities for the technology projects;—$79,125 contract with Piana Construction & Painting for the interior painting of Martin Murphy Middle School;—$204,172 contract with Alcal Specialty Contracting, Inc. for Los Paseo roof replacement.These construction costs are funded by bond money.

How important is it for a trustee to physically be in the boardroom during proceedings, both private and public? If there are extenuating circumstances such as business travel or illness keeping them from being in attendance, is it better for the impacted trustee to remotely participate in a meeting or just let their colleagues handle the business without them?

School district officials have zeroed in on Blach Construction Company and Quattrocchi Kwok Architects for a $39.5 million contract to build the brand new Britton Middle School campus.

On a recent hard hat tour of the new Sobrato High School, under

A San Martin assistant principal will head to another Morgan Hill Unified School District campus next year, with the promotion of Shannon Rafat to principal at PA Walsh STEAM Academy, according to a recent staff announcement. Rafat, an interim assistant principal at San Martin/Gwinn Environmental...