PAUSD School Board Meeting notes – 2/27/24

4A Open Forum – Last week the Board voted to approve a contract with the Department of Rehabilitation for around half a million dollars to work on employment for some of our disabled students. There was no report provided by the district on their performance on the previous $300 thousand contract in terms of actual success. I checked out the DOR’s website and there was no indicator there of any actual success by the agency to deliver Competitive Integrated Employment for disabled people. Lots of money was spent however.

I ask that our district review our Competitive Integrated Employment program for our disabled student. Specifically, looking at outcomes and ensuring that our disabled working youth are paid at least minimum wage even while they are in training. Unfortunately, disabled people are subject to a lot of low expectations, neglect, and abuse both in the workplace and by services that are supposed to serve them. If PAUSD is going to be preparing people for jobs, they should be making sure that those people are actually getting jobs and aware of the risks that they face.

2A – El Carmelo – Once again, need to include data in the reports for groups where equity is a concern. 5 Suspensions, 3 SWD, 2 English Learners, 1 Hispanic, 2 multiple races, 2 SED. Chronically Absent – 54. 17 Hispanic, 14 2 or more races, 14 SWD, 17 EL, 13 SED… only groups that aren’t over 10% are White and Asian. Unfortunately for academic work, there is little data available, but there is a substantial gap between Hispanic and White students. Looking at the El Carmelo data as a whole, I hope we have an equity report at some point that looks at the equity between our schools, not just within them.

5C – Classified staff 3 special ed hires and 3 resignations… all of the resignations were in special ed.

5E – Settlement agreements – 5 – https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/pausd/Board.nsf/files/D2QRKF6A8CFF/$file/20240227ConsultantPurchaseOrdersReport.pdf – I am concerned that there has been an increase in settlements which reflects issues in the SPED program. I hope data on this is included in the report at the next meeting (700K reported)

(question for Lana on attendence trends for SPED)

7A – Continuing to model population reducation at 200 per year and this has been going on for a number of years 10? maybe. At what point is the district and board going to start working the implications of these changes, even with constant funding, we are spending less effectively on students if we have excess facilities. That is around 1 elementary school every 2 to 3 years.

8B – pretty cool Student report from JLS. (I’m biased)

8C – Title IX complaints – are very concentrated 3 at Palo Alto but 10 at Gunn. The most of all middle schools 6 at Fletcher though it is the smallest.