News
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Posted 10/28/21
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Fremont Unified School District
Board of Education Meeting Summary
October 27, 2021 (Regular)
Click to View the Agenda of this Board Meeting
Click to View a Recording of this Board Meeting
At its October 27th meeting, the FUSD Board of Education (absent Trustee Yajing Zhang):
6.1 Reported on Action Taken in Closed Session
The Board unanimously approved settlement agreements for Office of Administrative Hearing (OAH) Cases No. 2021080628 and 2021080639.
The Board unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Tiffany Kloeppel to the one-year Elementary Virtual Academy Assistant Principal position. Dr. Kloeppel began her career in education in 2004, and was previously employed in FUSD as an elementary physical education teacher. Most recently, Dr. Kloeppel served as a high school assistant principal in San Jose Unified School District.
7.1 Heard the Superintendent Report
Superintendent CJ Cammack thanked Supervisor Tom Ekman and the Custodial and Grounds team for a quick response during recent storms. He also thanked bus drivers and transportation staff for getting students to/from school safely.
Cammack noted that Senate Bill 14 was recently passed, which modifies Education Code to expand the list of excused absences for illnesses to include those for mental or behavioral health. Looking for further information and guidance, noted that FUSD is leading on this conversation already.
7.2 Heard the Student Member Report
Homecoming celebrations are nearly wrapping up. Relay for Life events last week, Red Ribbon Week this week. The PSAT was administered and AP registration has closed. Students are gearing up for Halloween.
8.1 Approved the Consent Calendar
The Board unanimously approved the Consent Calendar, items 9.1-11.4.
14.1 Heard an Update on the Opening of the 2021-2022 School Year
The California Department of Public Health issued Reaffirming California's Approach to COVID-19 Prevention and Containment in Schools by Continuing Masking Requirements last week, confirming that it will continue its current universal indoor mask mandate in K-12 schools. Cammack recommends that FUSD keep its current masking requirements in place.
We are seeing progress toward approval of vaccines for ages 5-11. FUSD will be ready to support our community with access to vaccines when they are available. FUSD is hosting vaccination clinics on two of our campuses in the coming weeks, they will be able to serve all individuals eligible for vaccination at the time of the clinic:
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American High School Clinic with Haller's Pharmacy and Alameda County Public Health on November 12 and December 3 from 4:00 - 7:00pm.
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Irvington High School Clinic with Safeway on November 13 & 14, and December 4 & 5 from 9:00am - 4:00pm.
At last week’s clinic with Haller’s, 51 FUSD staff members received boosters.
Governor Newsom announced a forthcoming mandate for COVID-19 vaccines upon full approval by the FDA for age groups. Once there is full approval for a range of grades (7th-12th along with staff, and TK-6th), the mandate will go into effect for that range at the following term (either January 1 or July 1).
14.2 Appointed Parents/Guardians to Serve on the Wellness Committee
The Board appointed Erika Costanzo and Bhavjot Kaur to the parent/guardian openings on the Wellness Committee.
Trustees found the two additional applicants to be qualified and welcomed them to be brought forward for appointment to alternate positions as a Consent item at a future meeting.
14.3 Heard a Presentation on the Elementary Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)
Directors Christie Rocha and Robin Sehrt presented on FUSD’s Elementary Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). FUSD has several initiatives that make up the MTSS framework for organizing and providing tiered instructional, behavioral and socio-emotional continuum to support all students. MTSS helps schools and districts to intervene early and quickly, with tiers of support that provide more levels of support from one level to the next, students move up and down tiers based on data and their needs. MTSS focuses on the whole child, which means that all facets of learning are identified and addressed to assist all students to be successful.
Sehrt acknowledged Oliveira Elementary for taking the lead in implementation and now coaching cohorts of schools as they plan and launch their site programs, with a final cohort of schools starting in summer 2022.
14.4 Approved the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III Plan
As part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) emergency funds released to states and school districts, FUSD qualifies for Elementary and Secondary School Relief (ESSER III) funds.
The purpose of the ESSER III Expenditure Plan is to describe how FUSD will use the ESSER III funds to support student learning. District staff have used input from all educational partners as informed by our work with the Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant (ELOG) and our work with our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). The ESSER III plan must reserve a minimum of 20% of its funds for expenditures related to addressing the academic impact of lost instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based interventions.
In order to receive funds, the plan must be adopted by the local governing board at a meeting on or before October 29, 2021, and must be submitted for review and approval within five days of adoption to the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE).
The Board unanimously approved the Plan.
14.5 Authorized Increase to the Budget for RIX Modernization Project for Additional Unforeseen Dry Rot Repair, Existing Roofing and Additional Power Requirements Required by The City of Fremont
Director Kelle' Lynch McMahon provided updates on the Rix Glankler Early Learning Center (RIX), which is currently under construction and moving towards a completion date of November 30, 2021. In the process of completing the construction, severe dry-rot and termite damage in multiple buildings was found that was not anticipated in the original scope of work, with additional hazardous mitigation work required in several areas.
Additional inspection services, hazardous waste management, and electrical supply requirements have impacted the project.
Staff requests Board authorization to increase the budget for the modernization project at RIX for the amount of $500,708.02. The costs submitted are for review and approval and have been negotiated by the construction management firm, and validated by FUSD staff to confirm that it is necessary work required for completion of the project of work. The schedule has been adjusted to reflect 18 additional days and will allow for the project to be substantially completed by December 20, 2021. Punch list and close out will occur during the winter-break and final move will be coordinated for the first week of January 2022.
Trustee Campbell noted that she will not support the work to be charged to the requested funding source.
Trustee Prasad asked if there is a way to write our contracts better to avoid change fees, etc. as projects progress. Lynch McMahon noted that she is working with legal counsel to ensure our contracts are being written differently to address these issues and recoup unforeseen expenditures and make various clauses more favorable to FUSD.
After discussion of allowable and available funding sources, the Board voted 3-1 to approve the budget increase.
14.6 Authorized Transfer of $1,435,043 Unused Project Funds from American High School Modernization to Measure E Contingency Fund and Allow Transfer of $325,000 to Washington High School Theater Modernization to Complete Project Construction
The current Washington High School Theater remaining project budget does not support the cost of this work to be performed. Due to some changes in the structural configuration of the new roof supports, and the modifications of the electrical supply for the maker space, we have encountered some challenges in completing the required work for the theater and the stage area that will support dramatic arts instruction. There were significant dry rot repairs and changes in structural members that required additional work and was previously addressed under a previous budget increase, but the costs escalated beyond the original budget established for the corrective work. The current budget will require additional funds to complete the remaining scope of work.
Staff requests Board's authorization to approve transfer of $1,760,043 of unused funds from American High School Modernization project: of $1,435,043 to be transferred to Measure E Program Contingency Fund, and $325,000 to Washington High School Theater Modernization Project.
The American High School Project was completed and closed out in December 2020, final accounting of the project costs were completed and reconciled in February 2021.
The Board unanimously approved the transfer.
14.7 Discussed Board Trustee(s) Attendance at the 2021 Coast2Coast Federal Advocacy Event, April 25-27, 2022, Washington, D.C.
At the February 8, 2020 Board of Education meeting, the Board set travel criteria in place and asked that travel outside of California must be Board approved.
The California School Boards Association (CSBA) and the Association of California School Administrators' (ACSA) Coast2Coast 2022 Federal Advocacy Event is scheduled for April 25 - 27, 2022 in Washington, D.C. The event will focus on the issues affecting 6 million students. The event will begin with a day of education policy issues specific to California, a briefing on the latest politics affecting federal education policy. That training will be followed by two days of meetings on Capitol Hill to advocate directly with California congressional representatives, White House officials, key federal agency leaders and other top policymakers.
Superintendent Cammack will be attending with a focus on advocating for increased spending at the federal level for Special Education programs as well as other important focus areas for FUSD.
Board Trustee(s), as part of our existing relationship with CSBA, are able to attend and share in the advocacy efforts. An accounting of conference/travel expenses include a registration cost of $600 per person to include hotel for three nights and flight at a total approximate cost of $2,500 per person (not $1,500 as originally stated).
The Board tabled this item until all Trustees are present.
The Board’s next Regular Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 6:30pm (time subject to change)
