Board Meeting Highlights: December 13, 2023 (Regular)
See the Meeting Agenda for a full listing of items considered and actions taken at this meeting.
6.1 Report on Action taken in Closed Session
The Board unanimously approved the appointment of Ms. Jin Kim as Principal for Cabrillo Elementary School.
7.1 Elect the President of the Board of Education
Trustee Yajing Zhang was unanimously elected to serve as President.
7.2 Elect the Vice President of the Board of Education
Trustee Larry Sweeney was unanimously elected to serve as Vice President.
7.3 Elect the Clerk of the Board of Education
Trustee Dianne Jones was unanimously elected to serve as Clerk.
7.4 Appoint Superintendent as Secretary to the Governing Board
Superintendent CJ Cammack was unanimously appointed to serve as Secretary to the Governing Board.
14.1 Oliveira Elementary School Showcase (item heard out of order)
Principal Linda Anderson, a student representative and PTA President Cecilie Lee presented the Oliveira School Showcase to highlight the school's accomplishments, areas of focus, unique characteristics, student perspective, and parent/guardian and community perspective.
8.1 Superintendent Report
Superintendent CJ Cammack reported that he’s visited multiple sites this week, including visits to Robertson High School and Rix-Glankler with Alameda County Superintendent of Schools Alysse Castro. He thanked the Fremont Educational Foundation and all participants who came out to FEF’s Run for Education last weekend. He thanked the Fremont Council PTA for running the Reflections program, and for inviting him to attend a recent meeting. He invited the community to save the date for the January 30 State of the District and 60th Anniversary event. The District will be closed December 25 to January 5, and Superintendent Cammack wished the community happy holidays and a safe break.
8.2 Student Member Report
Student Member Ananya Balaji reported that all comprehensive high schools are participating in a Winter Week competition this week, and finals are coming up next week.
17.3 Hindi Language Pathway (item heard out of order)
Fremont Unified School District has received requests from many that the District offer Hindi as a new world language program pathway, as part of the options for students to access within the school district program. Much of the interest has come from families and students at Irvington High School and Horner Middle School. At our November Board meeting, staff received direction that we bring forward a Board item for the Trustees to review and discuss.
Staff has researched and reviewed possible options for the Board Trustees to discuss and consider. Assistant Superintendent Leticia Salinas presented the Hindi - World Language presentation, which outlines three possible options for Trustees to review and provide direction.
This was a non-voting item, the Board engaged in discussion about the proposed options and provided direction to staff. This topic will return on future Board agenda(s).
17.2 Walters Middle School Potential Future Work Presentation (item heard out of order)
At the October 11, 2023 and October 25, 2023 Board Meetings, the Board received public comments requesting further work to be done at the Walters Middle School campus.
At the October 25, 2023 Board Meeting, the Board received a presentation on the available funding for facilities projects.
On November 7, 2023, the District held a Community Forum at Walters Middle School to gather input from site staff and community members about requests for the site. Staff facilitated a discussion and gathered specific feedback on the items that the attendees believed to be most essential for the school.
Following the community feedback, Director of Facilities & Construction Adam Lint and RGM Kramer’s DJ Halbert presented the Walters Middle School Potential Future Work Presentation indicating work completed to date, and taking into consideration the community feedback received, have consolidated requested improvements into a tentative site plan indicating various phases and scopes of work that can be completed.
Due to the extent of the requests, not all work can occur at once. If the Board approves, the projects will need to be phased, or layered over time. The presentation provides two phasing options to describe the work. Option 1 is more amenable to construction logistics and site phasing, including the construction of additional classroom spaces. Option 2 focuses on the priorities identified by the school site and community (new gymnasium, kitchen, band rooms) sooner. The presentation also provides a rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost estimate for each phase for each option.
The first phase is the same in both options, roughly estimated at $6M, which could be paid out of Measure E savings from the Middle School Conversion projects (~$15M). The high-end estimate for the full scope of the work ranges from $85-$120M, for all phases, including the 1st phase previously listed.
There is no budget allocated for this specific work, at this time.
This agenda item is a discussion item only; no action is being recommended by staff at this time. Pending Board direction and discussion, staff will further outline possible scope(s) of work, funding mechanisms and future funding options at a later meeting.
17.1 First Interim Budget Report for 2023-24
Education Code Section 42130 states that the Superintendent of each school district shall submit two reports to the governing board of the district during each fiscal year. The first report shall cover the financial and budgetary status of the district for the period ending October 31. The second report shall cover the period ending January 31. Both reports shall be approved by the district governing board no later than 45 days after the close of the period being reported.
Additionally, the District has to certify the report and submit it to the County Office of Education for fiscal review. The certification of the District’s financial condition may take one of three forms:
- Positive Certification - the district will meet its financial obligation for the current fiscal year and subsequent two years
- Qualified Certification - the district may not meet its financial obligations for the current fiscal year or subsequent two years
- Negative Certification - the district will not meet its financial obligations for the remainder of the fiscal or for the subsequent fiscal years
Director of Budget James Arcala presented the First Interim 2023-24 Presentation. The First Interim 2023-24 Budget Book analyzes the changes at First Interim.
As a result of the adjustments in the revenues and expenditures, the Unrestricted General Fund 01 ending fund balance is projected to be $41.8 million for 2023-24. The District maintains the 3% required reserves in the Special Reserve Fund 17 which is $17.3 million.
A multi-year budget projection (MYP) was prepared to determine that the District will be able to meet its financial commitments for the two projected years. Please note, as deficit spending continues to increase, the Unrestricted General Fund 01 ending balance is reduced from $41.8 million in 2023-24 to $2.7 million by 2025-26. Deficit spending increases due to reductions in revenue and rising costs. The Special Reserve Fund 17 maintains the 3% required reserves in the current and two subsequent years.
The Board unanimously approved the First Interim Budget report for 2023-24 with positive certification indicating that the Fremont Unified School District will be able to meet its financial obligations for the current and subsequent two years, based upon current projections and assumptions.
17.4 Library Media Technician (LMT) Staffing
The Library Media Technician (LMT) is a classified (non-credential) position. The LMT's are primarily responsible for ensuring access to the library at our elementary through high school sites.
LMT Primary Functions
- High school: LMT's assist the teacher librarians, teachers, and students
- Elementary/Middle Schools: LMT's ensure library books are checked out/in, and shelved correctly, read stories and share the joy of reading with students. The LMTs are non-credentialed, their job description does not include assessing student reading or providing direct reading instruction/intervention.
In the spring of 2023, with FUSD facing declines in enrollment and with middle school conversions nearing completion, Business Services and Human Resources reviewed allocations with CSEA and noted that most elementary sites were overstaffed in the LMT classification according to the existing board-approved staffing formula. One elementary site was recommended for an increase in LMT hours as part of this analysis. Staff recommended following the existing board-approved formula (approved in 2014). In spring of 2023, the Board of Education voted to keep staffing levels as status-quo and not implement the existing staffing formula.
There is no enumerated BP or AR related to a staffing formula, however, the LMT Formula was approved by the Board in 2014 (below). Human Resources and Business Services analyze enrollment trends and provide the Board with the rationale to increase or decrease allocations based on the formula and negotiations with CSEA. The current formula ensures all students have access to the library at their school. Given the impact of the pandemic and the years following, along with Board direction in the spring of 2023, adjustments to LMT staffing levels have not been made since 2019.
LMT Formula
- 60 minutes per week of TK/Kindergarten class.
- 4 hours before and after school/lunch time per week.
- 22 minutes per week to attend monthly one hour LMT meetings to allow for travel time.
- 30 minutes per week for 1st through 6th grade classes with an additional 30 minutes for shelving time.
- LMT hours based on number of classes.
- 30 minutes of preparation time per week.
The Board engaged in discussion about the current LMT formula, and requested staff bring proposals for a revision to the formula and information about the impacts of any changes.
17.5 Receive Information on Student Discipline Data
Director of Student Support Services Greg Bailey presented the information on Suspensions and Expulsions, with compiled comparison data related to individual student suspensions from the 2019-2020, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years.
Examining student suspension data is an annual Board report and leads to productive conversations about the educational intent and purpose of maintaining a safe learning environment for all students. Also the publication of student suspension data facilitates productive conversations among educational leaders in FUSD about policies and practices related to student suspensions.
This was an information item, no action was taken.
17.6 Approve the 2023 Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) Plan
Assistant Director Extended Learning Steven Musto presented the CCEIS Board presentation.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states and local education agencies (LEAs) to take steps to address disproportionate representation. Disproportionality refers to the “overrepresentation” of a particular racial or ethnic group in one of four areas:
- special education in general;
- special education within a specific disability category;
- disciplinary action; or
- more restrictive environments
When an LEA is disproportionate in any of the above areas for specific ethnic groups over a three year period, the LEA is deemed significantly disproportionate and must undergo the process of developing a Comprehensive Coordinating Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) Plan.
In March 2023, the California Department of Education determined that FUSD is significantly disproportionate in the following areas:
- Identification of white students in the eligibility category of other health impairment (OHI)
- Identification of white students in the eligibility category of emotional disturbance (ED)
- Identification of Hispanic students in the eligibility category of specific learning disability (SLD)
As a result, the District is required to submit a CCEIS plan to address these three areas over a 27-month period with the goal of decreasing identification of students in these ethnic and eligibility categories. The 2023 CCEIS plan builds upon the initiatives established in previous CCEIS plans to help reduce the disproportionate representation in Special Education of specific student groups.
The Board unanimously approved the 2023 Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) plan for submission to the California Department of Education.
