Board Meeting Highlights: June 12, 2024 (Regular)
See the Meeting Agenda for a full listing of items considered and actions taken at this meeting.
Board President Yajing Zhang was not present and all votes noted were among the remaining trustees; Vice President Larry Sweeney presided over the meeting.
6.1 Report on Action taken in Closed Session
The Board unanimously approved the appointment of the following staff for the 2024-25 school year:
- Stephanie Schubert, Rix/Glankler Assistant Principal
- Johanna White, Director of Elementary Education
7.1 Superintendent Report
Superintendent CJ Cammack congratulated the Class of 2024 graduates; last week six ceremonies, one for each high school, were held at Tak Fudenna Memorial Stadium, and he was glad to attend and shake hands of the graduates. He thanked the Fremont Police Department and the School Resource Officers, and the Maintenance, Operations and Grounds team for their work and support during the events.
7.2 Student Member Report
Student Board Member Sriya Neti reported there were no notable events at school sites.
15.1 2024-2025 Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) Public Hearing
Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services Leticia Salinas and Director of Federal and State Programs Christie Rocha shared the LCAP Public Hearing Presentation.
The Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) is a critical part of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which eliminated the Revenue Limit funding and most of the State categorical funds and established the new funding formula that provides the same base grant to all school districts. Supplemental funding is provided to address the needs of eligible students. Eligible students include English Learners (EL), low income students, foster youth, and homeless youth.
Each school district must engage parents, students, employees, and the community in the development of the LCAP. The plan is designed to describe the district's vision for students, annual goals and specific actions the district will take to achieve the vision and goals. The LCAP must focus on eight areas identified as state priorities over a three-year period. The eight priorities include: Basic Services, Common Core Standards, Parental Involvement, Student Achievement, Student Engagement, School Climate, Course Access and other Student Outcomes.
Guidelines for the development of the LCAP requires the LEA to hold a Public Hearing prior to the date of its adoption. The final LCAP will be submitted for approval to the Board of Trustees on
June 26, 2024. It will then be submitted to the Alameda County Office of Education by June 30, 2024 for final approval. This new LCAP will mark year one of the new three-year cycle. This board item includes the full LCAP package: 2024/25 Budget Overview for Parents; 2023-24 LCAP Annual Update; 24/25 LCAP; Instructions for the 24/25 LCAP; Required Actions Appendix.
The following four (4) over-arching goals have been identified to serve Fremont Unified’s targeted student groups:
- Improve outcomes for unduplicated students by targeting resources to provide research based interventions that address the needs of students and identified areas of disproportionality.
- Expand an effective Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to eliminate barriers to improve academic, behavioral, and emotional wellness outcomes for students.
- Align P-12 systems to help increase post secondary preparation and attainment.
- Enhance student, family and staff connectedness by fostering and supporting an inclusive school culture.
The Board held a public hearing on the 2024-2025 Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), this was a non-voting item.
15.2 Hold a Public Hearing on the 2024-25 Proposed Budget
Director of Budget James Arcala presented the Proposed Budget Presentation 2024-25,
Pursuant to Education Code (EC) 52062(b)(1), school districts are required to hold a public hearing to solicit the recommendations and comments of members of the public regarding the specific actions and expenditures proposed to be included in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). The public hearing shall be held at the same meeting as the public hearing required by EC 42127(a)(1) for the Budget to be adopted in the subsequent fiscal year.
The District is projecting a General Fund beginning fund balance of $79.3 million. The projected revenues are $483.2 million and projected expenditures are $516.0 million. More expenditures than revenues creates a structural deficit of $32.8 million. Deficit spending reduces the fund balance from $79.3 million to $46.5 million ($23.8 million is Unrestricted and $22.7 million is Restricted).
The District's Reserve for Economic Uncertainties is 3.00% or $15.5 million and is budgeted under Fund 17 Special Reserve for Other Than Capital Outlay Projects.
Other Funds – including Adult Education, Child Development, Cafeteria, Construction Funds, etc. – are all balanced and do not require contributions from the General Fund.
The District prepared a multi-year budget projection to determine if the District will be able to meet its financial commitments for the current and two (2) projected years. The District will be able to meet its financial commitments for 2024-25 and two (2) succeeding years based on the assumption that FUSD will reduce expenditures by a minimum of $20.0 million in 2025-26.
The Proposed Budget Book for 2024-25 and Reserve Disclosure Certificate are attached as information items for the public hearing. We will bring the budget, certificate and required forms for signature back to the board on June 26th for final approval.
The Board held a Public Hearing on the 2024-25 Proposed Budget; this was a non-voting item.
15.3 Prisms Virtual Reality Update
Director of Curriculum & Instruction Corey Brown presented the Prisms VR Board Update.
Prisms Virtual Reality (VR) offers the opportunity to reinforce math concepts with real-world applications dealing with social, scientific, geo-political, and environmental problems. This program is intended to be used to supplement and enhance existing lessons and concepts. It is not a replacement curriculum. Students will experience and use technology in relevant and interesting ways to reinforce learning with special emphasis on students who may have struggled with math concepts taught in traditional methodologies. This program will help teachers and students work through the use of data to make decisions in their roles as global citizens and to identify misleading data so that their decisions are sound.
In July of 2023, the Board approved the purchase of Virtual Reality headsets, charging stations, and curriculum licenses for 10 classrooms. For our initial pilot during the 2023/24 school year middle school teachers substituted immersive virtual reality lessons in place of existing Spring Board content. For the 2024/25 school year, we are expanding the pilot to high school Algebra classes.
The Board received the Prisms Virtual Reality update, this was a non-voting item.
15.5 Receive a Presentation on the Long-Range Facilities Plan Update
Director of Facilities & Construction Adam Lint presented the FUSD LRFP Suggested Prioritized Project List Presentation and FUSD Prioritized Project List.
The Fremont Unified School District’s current Long Range Facilities Plan (LRFP or Plan) was adopted by the Board of Education on January 29, 2014. The Plan identified approximately $1.6 billion in facility projects at that time. On June 3, 2014, the voters of Fremont approved the $650 million Measure E general obligation bond initiative.
On October 28, 2020, the Board authorized staff to update the 2014 Plan. On May 24, 2023, an update was provided to the Board on the​ work accomplished to date with focus areas for staff and the Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC) on the​ Long Range Facilities Plan.
On April 15, 2024, Staff and Cumming Group presented an update regarding the LRFP. The Board provided staff with feedback and directed FAC to prioritize the project list to above the line and below the line of a potential $900 million mark with a focus on the first $600M considering several factors including but not limited to: TK and child nutrition, equity on the list of prioritization in terms of intended outcomes, contingency strategies, addressing future instruction through design and athletic facilities.
Since the previous LRFP update presented at the meeting on April 15, 2024, staff has continued developing the LRFP, site profiles, and needs assessment list. Additionally, staff has met with the full FAC three times and the FAC LRFP subcommittee five times, in order to address the Board’s direction in creating a prioritized project list. At the May 8 and May 28 meetings, the FAC reviewed the rationale, considerations and strategy for project prioritization, reviewed the project list with the focus on the first $765M to ensure it is in alignment with Board direction and that it is acceptable to the FAC as representatives of the community. At the May 28 meeting, the FAC approved the project list and prioritization framework as well as support of the board considering a future general obligation bond for the November 2024 ballot.
Staff requests that the Board review the information presented and provide feedback on the project list and prioritization framework as a first read. Staff hopes to bring the project list back for the Boards approval at the June 26 Board Meeting.
Staff is currently working on the Long Range Facilities Plan and hopes to bring the final draft of the Long Range Facilities Plan before the board for approval on July 31.
The Board received the update; this was an informational item.
15.10 Teacher Intern Program in partnership with ACOE and Reach University
The current nation-wide and state-wide teacher shortage has exacerbated the current teacher shortage in FUSD. In the 2023-24 school year, FUSD had 37 special education positions and 9 general education positions that were filled by teachers with emergency permits, not by credentialed teachers.
FUSD has made significant progress in hiring appropriately credentialed teachers to fill vacancies. However, a significant area of need remains for special education teachers and certain general education credential areas.
In June of 2024, FUSD's first cohort of seven residents are graduating from FUSD's residency program through ACOE and Alder Graduate School of Education. While this program is helping to bridge the gap of credentialed educators in special education, staff predict that vacancies will remain for 2024/25, which would necessitate the continued hiring of individuals with emergency permits instead of credentialed teachers.
In order to continue progress toward being fully staffed with teachers, Human Resources and Special Education staff are recommending that FUSD enter into partnership with ACOE and Reach University to hire up to 20 interns to teach primarily special education and a few key general education areas in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. The interns would be issued an intern credential, and would participate in credential classes through Reach University while teaching full time. After two years and successfully completing all requirements, interns would earn a preliminary credential and master's degree, which would make them eligible for continued employment in FUSD as credentialed classroom teachers.
The cost for the whole two-year program for each participant is $1000 paid by the participant and $5000 paid by the District. Staff recommends approval of up to 20 interns for participation in the ACOE/Reach University Teacher Intern Program for a total potential cost of up to $100,000.
The Board unanimously approved the partnership with ACOE and Reach University for up to 20 interns starting in fall 2024.
15.11 Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP)
On September 30, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 553 (SB553) into law. SB 553 amends Labor Code section 6401.7 and subsequently requires employers in California to develop and implement a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) in accordance with newly codified Labor Code section 6401.9 which sets the requirements for the plan.
The WVPP includes the District’s procedures to develop and provide training to supervisory and nonsupervisory employees, to identify and evaluate workplace violence hazards, to correct workplace violence hazards identified and evaluated, for post-incident response and investigation, to review the plan’s effectiveness and to revise the plan annually and as needed. Additionally, the WVPP details effective procedures to respond to actual or potential workplace violence emergencies, including, but not limited to:
- The means to alert employees to the presence, location, and nature of the emergency;
- Appropriate and feasible evacuation or sheltering plans; and
- How employees can obtain help from staff assigned to respond to emergencies.
FUSD plans to train all managers in July and August 2024 and managers will then train their employees during August and September 2024.
The District will make the WVPP, violent incident log, training, and workplace violence investigation records available to Cal/OSHA upon their request for examination. The District will also make the WVPP, violent incident log, and training records available to employees and their labor representatives upon request and without cost, within fifteen (15) calendar days of a request. Employees and their labor representatives are not entitled to view records of workplace violence incident investigations.
Risk Management and Human Resources collaborated to develop the 1st Read Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) in consultation with and utilizing guidance from Cal/OSHA. On June 4, 2024 the draft plan was shared with CSEA, FUDTA, SEIU and FSMA. Our labor partners were invited to provide input, suggestions, and feedback.
Cal/OSHA will propose additional standards regarding workplace violence prevention plans by December 31, 2025. These standards will be adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board no later than December 31, 2026. It is important to note that Cal/OSHA will not be issuing its formal standards until close to 2027. However, districts are required to implement requirements by July 1, 2024. Employees should expect that the WVPP will undergo several revisions as new guidance is released in the coming years.
The Board unanimously approved the first reading of the FUSD Workplace Violence Prevention Plan.
