Fremont Unified School District

Board Meeting Highlights

March 22, 2023 (Regular)

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2.1 Approval of the Board Agenda for March 22, 2023

Staff requested removal of item 15.16 Approve Agreement with RGM Kramer, Inc. for Program and Construction Management Services from agenda to be revised and return at a future meeting.

6.1 Teacher of the Year Recognition

Rachel Brown was named FUSD’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Brown is a 4th grade teacher at Mission San Jose Elementary.

Congratulations to all nominees and our outstanding finalists: Melissa Auger from Thornton Junior High, Stephanie Keller from Mattos Elementary, Maria Dimitrova from Brier Elementary, Anjum Mujeeb from Glankler Early Learning, Jason Boyer from Parkmont Elementary, and Ida Wong from Warm Springs Elementary.

Click here to watch a video celebrating all of our 2023 Teacher of the Year nominees.

Thank you to the Fremont School Management Association (FSMA) for sponsoring this event and a reception for all nominees before the Board meeting, and to the Teacher of the Year Committee for their time in selecting finalists and the Teacher of the Year.

6.2 Science Fair Recognition

The students whose projects placed first for their grade at each elementary school were recognized with a video celebrating the 2023 Elementary Science Fair winners.

FUSD’s 5th Grade Science Fair winning projects will be showcased at the City of Fremont’s Spring into STEAM event on Wednesday, March 29 from 4-8pm at the Downtown Event Center. Click here to view the Spring Into STEAM event flyer.

6.3 Superintendent Report

Superintendent CJ Cammack thanked our staff who have worked to mitigate the impacts of recent severe weather, including our Transportation, Technology, and Maintenance, Operations & Grounds staff.

6.4 Student Member Report

Student Member Sissi Zhang reported school-specific updates.

7.1 Report on Action taken in Closed Session

The Board unanimously approved the appointment of the following staff for the 2023-24 school year:

• Dr. Jorge Gonzalez, Principal - Steven Millard Elementary School
• Ms. Michelle Guerrero, Principal - Vallejo Mill Elementary School
• Mr. Joshua Hunter, Assistant Principal - John F. Kennedy High School
• Ms. Jennifer DeFrance, Assistant Principal - John M. Horner Middle School and Irvington High School

8.1 Consent Calendar

All items were passed unanimously, with brief remarks to celebrate progress on item 11.5 Agreement with the Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, for Research on the Transition to Freshly Prepared School Meals.

15.4 Feasibility and Action Steps for a Potential Future Parcel Tax Extension and/or Bond Initiative

At its March 8, 2023 Board of Education meeting, a request was made to bring forward a feasibility study to explore the potential for a future bond and a parcel tax. District staff in collaboration with the District's financial advisor Keygent will be able to offer insight on what districts across the state are seeing, what they are seeing as patterns, and what they are projecting for both the primary and the regular elections of 2024 and beyond.

The Board was asked to review the presented feasibility study, timeline and discuss next steps to explore a future facilities bond and/or parcel tax.

This was a nonvoting item.

15.5 Authorize Staff to Enter Into an Agreement with Godbe Research to Conduct a Revenue Measure Feasibility Survey

Godbe Research has crafted a recommended scope of work to illustrate the types of considerations that go into each of the bond and parcel tax measure (and other revenue measure) feasibility surveys. The proposed scope of services is included in the linked proposal.

Upon assessing these topics, Godbe Research will provide the District with specific recommendations for moving forward and will work with the District’s legal and financial advisors to prepare a successful measure for the ballot.

The Board unanimously authorized staff to enter into an agreement with Godbe Research to conduct a Revenue Measure Feasibility Survey.

15.8 Approve the Staff-Recommended Textbook Adoption for AP Environmental Science

The College Board requires that Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science courses have curricula with a copyright year within 10 years of the current date.  The current text was adopted in 2013.

An AP Environmental Science Adoption Committee was formed in the Fall of 2022 with teacher representation from all five (5) high schools offering the course.  The committee met between November 2022 and March 2023 and reviewed the updated AP Environmental Science course standards as well as current course needs.  They reviewed six (6) eligible texts using rubrics designed for evaluating AP courses and narrowed the selection to the first two (2) listed below:

• Environmental Science for the AP Course. 3rd edition, Bedford, Freeman, and Worth, 2023
• Environment: The Science Behind the Stories, AP Edition. 7th edition, Pearson Education, 2021
• Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future. 13th edition, Pearson Education, 2023
• Environmental Science: A Study of Interrelationships, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2022
• Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 15th edition, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2021
• Living in the Environment, 20th edition, Cengage Learning, 2021

After receiving the materials to review in their classes, the committee identified one text to recommend for adoption: Bedford, Freeman, and Worth Environmental Science for the AP Course, 2023.

Materials were available to view in person in the Curriculum & Instruction Department since February 6, 2023.  Community and staff members also had access to review the curriculum virtually and offer feedback via Google from February 6-27, 2023.

The Board unanimously approved the recommended textbook for AP Statistics.

15.9 Approve the Staff-Recommended Textbook Adoption for AP Statistics

College Board updated the Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics course framework in 2019 to condense the course content into 9 units and reorganize the way in which statistics concepts are introduced.  The current text was published in 2007 and contains outdated references to current events and does not follow the new course framework.  Therefore, the existing AP Statistics curriculum needs to be replaced with a more current edition for the 2023-2024 school year.

An AP Statistics Adoption Committee was formed in the Fall of 2022 with teacher representation from four (4) of five (5) high schools offering the course.  The committee met between November 2022 and February 2023 and reviewed the updated AP Statistics course framework as well as current course needs.  They reviewed four (4) eligible texts using rubrics designed for evaluating AP courses and narrowed the selection to the first two (2) below:

• The Practice of Statistics for the AP Exam, W.H. Freeman, 2020
• Stats: Modeling the World for AP, 6th edition, Boston: Pearson, 2023
• Advanced High School Statistics, 2nd edition, OpenIntro, Inc. 2022
• Introduction to Statistical Investigations, AP Edition, Wiley, 2019

The committee decided to pilot the W.H. Freeman curriculum and the Pearson curriculum from January - February 2023.  Teachers received training on the digital and print curriculum and piloted it with all of their classes.  They collected data on student use of the texts, and a feedback survey was administered to all students.

After reviewing the data from all pilot classes, the committee identified one (1) text to recommend for adoption: W.H. Freeman, The Practice of Statistics for the AP Exam.  This text meets the updated College Board Framework for AP Statistics and is organized according to the updated unit structure.

Materials were available to view in person in the Curriculum & Instruction Department since February 6, 2023.  Community and staff members also had access to review the curriculum virtually and offer feedback via Google from February 6-27, 2023.

The Board unanimously approved the recommended textbook for AP Statistics.

15.10 Approve the Adoption of the 2022-23 Transportation Service Plan in Accordance with California Education Code 39800.1 and 41850.1

Director of Transportation Ernest Epley and Director of Budget, Audit and Attendance James Aracala presented the 2022-23 Transportation Service Plan that was developed in consultation with the interested parties set forth in EDC 39800.1 and 41850.1 for adoption.

The Board unanimously approved the Plan, which must be approved, but does not need to be implemented.

15.11 Approve the Cooperative Funding and Mitigation Agreement with the City of Fremont for a New Traffic Signal on Thornton Ave and Oak Street for the Middle School Conversion project at Thornton Middle School

The Board previously approved staff to enter into an agreement with the City of Fremont (City) for the installation of a new traffic signal for Thornton Middle School that will be located at Thornton Ave and Oak Street, required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Environmental Impact Report for the Thornton Middle School Conversion project. Since then, the cost for a traffic signal is now significantly higher than previously estimated. Consequently, the District and the City of Fremont met to negotiate and mutually agreed the District will cover costs of the installation, while the City assists the District by including the design and construction of the new traffic signal in the City's scope of work for the Centerville Complete Streets Project, expected to start construction at the end of 2023.

The estimated cost for the traffic signal is $760,000, funded from Fund 21 Measure E Bond Program. The District is responsible for and will pay the City the full actual cost of construction evidenced by the lowest responsive, responsible bid. If the full actual cost of construction exceeds $750,000, the increase will be brought to the Board for approval.

This agreement includes a contingency of $10,000 for change orders impacting or increasing the project cost. All change orders will require the District's approval beforehand. Any amounts or change orders exceeding the total contract price will require prior FUSD Board approval.

The Board unanimously approved the Cooperative Funding and Mitigation Agreement with the City of Fremont for the new traffic signal on Thornton Ave and Oak Street for the Middle School Conversion project at Thornton Middle School. This expense will not impact the overall project budget.

15.12 Approve Tak Fudenna Stadium Turf Replacement Project

Verde Design Inc. has conducted project start-up services and site investigation for the Tak Fudenna Stadium to assess the condition of the artificial turf field. This included an assessment of the turf and drainage testing. As a result of the investigation, the artificial turf was determined to be in disrepair and requiring a replacement of the artificial turf.

The estimated cost to remove and replace the artificial turf is $1,000,000. Construction is scheduled for Summer 2023 and this work will not require DSA approval. Verde Design Inc. (Verde) will develop and provide a Request for Proposal (RFP) for turf companies to provide pricing for the turf replacement. The project scope includes removal and disposal of the existing turf, fine grading and level as needed, and complete installation of the new drainage/shock pad and synthetic turf, as well as protection of the all-weather track during construction.

The Board unanimously approved the Turf Replacement Project at Tak Fudenna Stadium with a Budget Allocation of $1,000,000 from Fund 21 Non-Measure E Funds.