Pleasanton school board to review Learning Continuity Plan – Pleasanton Weekly

The first public reading of Pleasanton Unified School District's Learning Continuity Plan will take place during an online meeting of the Board of Trustees on Thursday, starting 7 p.m.

California Senate Bill 98, which became law in late June, has requirements related to in-person and distance learning during the 2020-21 school year, and also suspends the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) in addition to establishing the Learning Continuity Plan "to measure and monitor how districts mitigate the impacts of COVID-19," according to PUSD.

"The continuity plan is something all districts are doing in place of the LCAP," district spokesman Patrick Gannon told the Weekly, and covers what school districts are doing to support students and staff in regards to distance learning during sheltering, their plans moving forward, "as well as any potential learning loss as a result of the pandemic."

Some learning loss mitigation involves small group instruction, assessment monitoring, and using digital resources "to provide individualized instruction based on assessment results and course content."

The seven-part LCP also includes general information about PUSD such as the current number of enrolled students, local unemployment rates (just over 10% in the city), and the most recent COVID case rates in Pleasanton and Alameda County (467.5 and 1,094.1 cases per 100,000, respectively, as of Sept. 2).

Staff will review the district's most recent stakeholder engagement efforts such as distributing surveys, issuing regular updates online and via TV30, holding a number of task force, steering committee and community meetings, and offering "additional communication through emails and phone calls."

Specifics of the district's remote learning model will also be discussed, such as the platforms that are used, updates on professional development, and resources available to support students' mental health and their social and emotional wellbeing.

Gannon said the district "gathered feedback at the beginning of the year from the community as we were writing the plan," and is "also collecting feedback now on the plan" through Sept. 14.

The Learning Continuity Plan -- which will receive $6,444,568 total from various sources, mostly federal -- is expected to return for recommendation of approval at the Sept. 24 board meeting.

In other business

* A presentation will be heard Thursday night about the PUSD's student enrollment and registration process, including federal and state requirements for ethnic and racial data collection.

"We'll go over the data and explain the state and federal requirements for collecting it," Gannon said.

No specific information or conclusions are in the report about the district's current racial or ethnic demographics, and mostly outlines how PUSD operates their enrollment and registration processes including mandatory data collection.

Included are sample questionnaires from both PUSD and other districts, and also the federal government's different race category definitions and how they differ from the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity category, which is defined as "a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race."

According to PUSD, school districts can "collect even more detailed race data, but the data must be mapped to the new race and ethnic categories -- along with the additional Asian and Pacific Islander sub-group information required by California law."

However, "in Pleasanton, we only collect the federal and state required data and do not collect any additional detailed race data."

* Some surprises on the Lydiksen Elementary rebuild will require approximately $40,000 of additional Measure I1 funds to ensure the project is a success.

As part of the renovations, the Kids Club portable building will be relocated to a permanent foundation, but a few more features are needed such as the addition of a rat-slab under the portable foundation "due to grading changes," which will "prevent water ponding from underneath the portable foundation.

Contractors also recommend removing and replacing the exterior wall farming that was damaged by dry rot, and applying waterproofing to the foundations "due to grade change on the adjacent sidewalk required to meet ADA," which in turn "will keep the footings from deteriorating due to water ponding."

The district is prepared to issue contracts for the needed work with JD General Construction and Kinetics Mechanical Service for $34,877 and $4,812.62, respectively.

* The board will consider increasing Measure I1 funding on Thursday for work related to the portable classroom replacements and new science classrooms at Foothill and Amador Valley High, as well as traffic safety improvements around campus.

A proposal to extend the drop off area at Foothill and change the related parking lots on campus is not currently budgeted, "but due to immediate safety concerns, addressing traffic concerns and achieving agency approval, this work needs to be performed as part of this project," staff said, adding "these changes will make a safer drop off and ease traffic in the area during drop off times."

The estimated $93,370 project was jointly designed with the city of Pleasanton "as part of an effort to reduce the traffic impacts of FHS drop-off/ pick-up on Foothill Road," according to PUSD. The plan includes relocating stop lights and changing the left turn lanes on Foothill. The district will also lengthen the drop off area and modify the adjacent parking lots and vehicle ingress/egress areas.

Two new career technical education (CTE) computer classrooms could also be added to the planned roster of a dozen new classrooms at Amador Valley, if the board approves a $13,895 contract for work needed to accommodate the new learning spaces. Originally, seven standard classrooms, three science classrooms and several other classrooms and support spaces were planned for the project.

At the time, PUSD said "the CTE computer classrooms were not part of the new building program" or on their radar "due to not knowing whether the CTE funding would be obtained." Following an application for additional CTE funding, the addition of two new computer CTE classrooms was possible.

Two classrooms in the new building would be turned into the computer classrooms while a science prep room would be altered to accommodate a server. The scope of work includes redesigning the HVAC and electrical systems and a "revision to the data system."

Work at both Foothill and Amador would be funded through Measure I1 bond revenue.

* The board will consider ratifying a contract not to exceed $300,000 with Oakland-based law firm Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost (F3) to manage the district's "ongoing needs that require continued legal services."

The contract would end June 30, 2021, " and is renewable for up to four additional years by mutual agreement," according to PUSD. Services would be paid by the district general fund.

According to their website, F3 represents clients on legal matters concerning student services, special education, higher education, charter schools, and litigation, among other related areas.

* Before the public meeting, the trustees will meet in closed session at 6 p.m. to discuss a potential new vice principal at Hart Middle School, as well as the appointment of a new assistant director of adult and career education.

Follow this link:
Pleasanton school board to review Learning Continuity Plan - Pleasanton Weekly