Board Meeting Highlights: September 11, 2024 (Regular)
See the Meeting Agenda for a full listing of items considered and actions taken at this meeting.
2.1 Approval of the Board Agenda for September 11, 2024
The agenda was approved with the removal of item 16.3 Appointment of Fremont Unified School District Measure I Citizens' Oversight Committee Member.
6.1 Report on Action taken in Closed Session
The Board unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Michael Milliken as the Executive Director, Special & Inclusive Education Services.
7.1 Superintendent Report
Superintendent Erik Burmeister shared the following:
Today is Patriot Day, a time for remembrance in honor of the individuals who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Flags at all Fremont Unified campuses were flown at half-staff today to honor those who lost their lives and those who undertook acts of courage and sacrifice in response to this dark day in our country’s history.
On a different note, I want to congratulate FIVE Fremont Unified elementary schools that earned a 2024 California PBIS Award! Cabrillo, Mattos, Mission San Jose, Oliveira, and Patterson each earned a Silver Implementation Award for successfully implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) programs at their schools, which is truly a heavy – but worthwhile – lift! I thank the outstanding staff at each school for their dedication to supporting students.
Finally, I want to address two items on this evening’s agenda: one we heard about in the report from the closed session and one that is coming up in the consent calendar.
During the closed session, the Board appointed our Interim Executive Director of Special and Inclusive Education Services. This new, part-time, potentially temporary, contracted position is a senior management/cabinet-level role. The Executive Director will focus on optimizing resource allocation, enhancing program effectiveness, and improving outcomes for students with special needs. The primary goal for this position in the coming months will be to meet with staff, parents, and students and conduct an analysis of the program’s design and systems. The new ED will partner with district leadership and SpEd staff to recommend structural and systematic improvements to ensure the District's Special Education programs are effective, compliant with regulations, and financially sustainable.
This position pairs with a contract in 11.4, which is for FCMAT, a respected and reliable state organization that conducts district audits of all kinds, to review District practices and procedures related to Special Education and related areas. We are asking for approval to bring in FCMAT consultants to work with our staff to review and correct practices as needed related to Special Education and related services.
The total cost of these two efforts will be about $175,000. As we approach a budget reduction process to address our structural deficit, adding additional expenditures, particularly management, seems counterintuitive. But, considering the millions of dollars in savings, we can realize from simply being proactive rather than reactive, I believe it is an investment worth making. I believe it is one step in helping us right-size our budget in ways that will reduce layoffs, not exacerbate them. I am looking for every opportunity to address inefficiencies–at all levels, not just in Special Education–and hopefully, on the other end, the budget reduction conversations will be less drastic.
On September 18 the Board will host a Special Meeting dedicated to our budget reduction needs and potential actions. As staff has been reminding the community for several months now, FUSD has a structural deficit of anywhere from $18-$30 million dollars. As we will hear later from Associate Superintendent Danny Hillman, we have a small bit of good news regarding the ending fund balance from last year’s budget that gives us a tiny bit more breathing room, but the structural deficit is real. Sometime this or next week, we expect delivery of a letter from the Alameda County Office of Education informing us that their approval of our 24-25 adopted budget is “conditional,” directing staff and the Board to make the necessary reductions to ensure a balanced budget in light of the district’s structural deficit, expiration of the district’s parcel tax in June, and lack of settlement with collective bargaining partners. The two actions they are requesting are a timeline to address the issues and a targeted amount of needed budget adjustments going into the 25-26 school year. Following our response to the county, FUSD must do the necessary work to follow that timeline and meet those targets–something we will discuss on September 18.
Next week’s Board workshop will provide trustees with a public forum to hear from staff and discuss budget-balancing efforts to go into effect in the 2025-26 school year. A draft presentation for the timeline and process is available now at fremontunified.org/budgetfaq, and the agenda will be posted to BoardDocs by Friday evening. Each member of our community is encouraged to engage in this conversation at next week’s meeting and throughout the coming months.
In addition to the September 18 event, there are three more opportunities for our community to come out to our Meet the New Superintendent & learn more about the Long Range Facilities Plan in our three remaining Roadshows:
- September 17, 6pm, Washington High School Theatre
- September 19, 6pm, Hopkins Middle School MUR
- September 26, 10am, Fremont Adult & Continuing Education MUR
Associate Superintendent Hillman and I are hosting these meetings to share information about our Long Range Facilities Plan, which is the backdrop of the general obligation bond our Board unanimously decided to add to the November ballot.
Find information about these events, and see recordings from our earlier virtual sessions, at fremontunified.org/events.
7.2 Student Member Report
Student Board Member Sriya Neti reported that many high schools have started Club Rush events. All SURFBoardE members are working with their principals, and promoting attendance at the September 18 Special Board Meeting.
8. CONSENT CALENDAR
The Board unanimously approved the following items on the Consent Calendar:
- 9. CONSENT CALENDAR - BOARD OF EDUCATION
- 9.1 Minutes of the August 28, 2024 Regular Meeting of the Board of Education
- 9.2 Second Read of Revised Fremont Unified School District's Board Policies (BP) and Administrative Regulations (AR) Section 2000: Administration
- 10. CONSENT CALENDAR - STUDENT LEARNING & ACHIEVEMENT
- 10.1 Authorize Staff to Approve Additional Funding for Non-Public Schools / Non-Public Agencies for 2024-2025 School Year
- 10.2 Approve Study Trips
- 10.3 Approve Second Read of New Administrative Regulation 5145.2, Title IX Sex Discrimination Grievance Procedures
- 11. CONSENT CALENDAR - FINANCE/FACILITIES
- 11.1 Approve the Payroll Warrants as Listed by Number
- 11.2 Accept Gifts to Fremont Unified School District
- 11.3 Approval of New and Closed Positions
- 11.4 Consideration of Approval of Contracts and Purchases Over $25,360
- 11.5 Second Read to Retire Board Policy (BP) 3290, Management of District Funds
- 11.6 Ratification and Approval of Special Services Contract Amendment with NetXperts Inc.
- 11.7 Approve Pool of Qualified Industrial Hygienists
- 11.8 Approve a Change Order for the Modernization Project at Mattos Elementary School
- 11.9 Approve a Change Order for the Modernization Project at Brookvale and Green Elementary Schools
- 11.10 Authorize Staff to File Notices of Completion for the 2024 Rix Playground and Site Improvement Project
- 12. CONSENT CALENDAR - HUMAN RESOURCES/COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
- 12.1 Approve Certificated Personnel Actions
- 12.2 Approve Classified Personnel Actions
- 12.3 Approve Athletic Coaches Fall-Winter 2024
- 12.4 Approve the Substitute Counselor Job Description
- 12.5 Preschool- 3rd grade Instructional Coach Job Description
- 12.6 Revised Classified Substitute Salary Schedule
- 12.7 Executive Director, Special & Inclusive Education Services Job Description
13.1 Maloney Elementary School Showcase
Principal Chris Wood, a current student, a former student now in college, and a parent of two current students presented the Tom Maloney Elementary School Showcase.
At Board meetings during the school year, one school will present to the Board a brief presentation highlighting the school's accomplishments, areas of focus, unique characteristics, student perspective, and parent/guardian and community perspective.
16.1 Employment Agreement for Interim Executive Director, Special and Inclusive Education Services
In item 12.7, the Board approved the Executive Director, Special & Inclusive Education Services Job Description, a position for a senior management/cabinet-level position to address the growing need for specialized support in the area of special education and to reinforce related measures to ensure financial solvency within the Fremont Unified School District. This new position will be dedicated to overseeing and improving special education services within the district, with a primary goal to bring specialized expertise in special education and ensure that the district's special education programs are effective, compliant with regulations, and financially sustainable.
In item 6.1 Report on Action taken in Closed Session, Superintendent Burmeister reported that the Board selected Dr. Michael Milliken to fill this role.
In this item, the Board was asked to approve the Employment Agreement with Dr. Milliken to fill this role.
The Board unanimously approved the Employment Agreement for the Interim Executive Director of Special and Inclusive Education Services.
16.4 Receive Information from Summer 2024 Programs (item heard out of order)
Over the summer of 2024, FUSD offered programs for students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. These programs were targeted toward improving academic performance in the areas of English Language Arts (ELA) & Math for elementary school, middle school, and recouping units at the high school level. Extended school year programs are offered to students with IEPs who meet the ESY eligibility criteria. The MLL Enrichment Camp programs targeted FUSD Multilingual Learner students that also met specific criteria.
Staff presented an 2024 Summer School Programs update related to summer programs and student performance in those programs.
The Board received the information from the Summer Academy 2024 Program, this was a non-voting item.
16.2 Opening of the Year Report (item heard out of order)
Each year, staff tracks this enrollment closely over the first 10 instructional days to monitor increases and/or decreases in enrollment compared to the estimates.
Associate Superintendent Daniel Hillman presented an update on Enrollment in the First 10 Days to highlight trends in enrollment.
This was an informational item.
16.5 Approve the 2023-24 Unaudited Actual Financial Report and Resolutions 016-2425 and 017-2425 to Commit Funds
Director of Accounting Services Robert Pascual provided the 2023-24 Unaudited Actuals Presentation.
Education Code 42100(a) states that on or before September 15, the governing board of each school district shall approve, in a format prescribed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, an annual statement of all receipts and expenditures of the district for the preceding fiscal year and shall file the statement, along with the statement received pursuant to subdivision (b), with the County Superintendent of Schools. On or before October 15, the County Superintendent of Schools shall verify the mathematical accuracy of the statements and shall transmit a copy to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The District manages multiple "funds" inclusive of the General Fund, Adult Education, Child Development, Child Nutrition, Building Fund, and other funds. The main fund is the General Fund which is reported as Unrestricted and Restricted. Unrestricted funds are for general education purposes and Restricted are categorical funds for specific purposes.
The District's Unrestricted General Fund ending balance for FY 2023-24 is $58.1 million. The Unrestricted General Fund ending fund balance has a positive variance of $7.1 million from Estimated Actuals (see pages 13, 14, and 34).
The District's Restricted General Fund ending fund balance for FY 2023-24 year is $45.6 million. This is restricted categorical carryover for Federal, State, and Local programs. This includes funds that are specifically granted to be expended for legally restricted purposes over multiple years based on program and educational needs. The Restricted General Fund ending fund balance has a positive variance of $17.3 million from Estimated Actuals which will be used to serve the future needs of their respective programs (see pages 38, 42, and 44).
All other funds were balanced and ended with reasonable estimations.
The Board unanimously approved the 2023-24 Unaudited Actual Financial Report, and Resolutions 016-2425 and 017-2425 for committing funds in FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25.
Remaining Regular Agenda Items
The Board took action and/or received information on the following Regular Agenda Items:
- 16.6 Adopt Resolution No. 015-2425, Resolution to Adopt Gann Limits
- 16.7 Approval of Agreement for Transportation Services to the City of Newark
- 16.8 Authorize Staff to Purchase Chromebooks and Carts
- 16.9 First Read of Revised Fremont Unified School District's Board Policies (BP) and Administrative Regulations (AR) Section 0000: Philosophy
- 16.10 First Read of Revised Fremont Unified School District's Board Policies (BP) and Administrative Regulations (AR) Section 1000: Community Relations
