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BOE Meeting for October 23, 2007

1.) Revision of Enrollment Policy AR 5116.1

Background: At the August 14 BOE meeting, staff bought a revision to Administrative Regulations (AR) 5116.1 to improve kindergarten enrollment procedures (Kindergarten Round-Up). Staff also proposed changes to the enrollment priority order for consideration for other grades, transfer requests, etc.

In summary, the proposed revision recommended a change from a "First Come, First Served" basis of returning kindergarten enrollment applications, to a random drawing process that would be used only when a school was over capacity for the number of applications it received. Public comment at the August 14 meeting requested that the District provide more time for parents to be informed about the proposed change and that the District explore additional options for making enrollment decisions when a school is over capacity.

As a result of this request, the Superintendent scheduled a series of five school neighborhood meetings to hear from parents on this issue. Meetings were scheduled on Monday, October 8 (Bay Farm and *Earhart), Wednesday, October 10 (*Haight and Washington), Monday, October 15 ( Edison and *Otis), Tuesday, October 16 (*Franklin and Lum) and Wednesday, October 17 (Paden and *Ruby Bridges). (*Asterisk indicates where the meeting will took place.) The meetings were also attended by pre-school parents who became aware of this issue. Parents were also invited to share their comments and suggestion by email and the District website provided information and updates on the meetings.

Input gathered from the meetings was extremely helpful in understanding the perspective of new parents entering our system and re-affirming the high value that our community places on Alameda's neighborhood schools. The discussion also produced several excellent suggestions for improving our overall enrollment process. These suggestions will be developed and implemented by staff for 2008-09.

After thoughtful consideration of input garnered from community meetings and other communications, staff is recommending the revision to AR5116.1 as originally proposed. While many parents said they would prefer to maintain a First Come, First Serve process, most parents acknowledged that a random drawing was a fair and equitable means of determining priority. Most people also recognized that a random drawing provides no advantage to any parent, regardless of personal circumstances. As public school educators, it is our obligation to recommend policies and regulations that are both equitable and fair.

Annual Kindergarten Round-Up Enrollment

Each year during the month of January, a two week initial enrollment period (Kindergarten Round-Up) will be held. If after the initial two week period there are more students than available spaces, first enrollment priority will be given to siblings of currently enrolled students living in the zone of attendance that have returned a completed application within the two week period. The remaining students will be assigned enrollment priority numbers through a random drawing. These students will then be enrolled until all spaces are filled. The remaining students will also be provisionally enrolled, and given a notice that they may be placed at a different school. Depending on how many students a school is over capacity, the district may open an additional class at the school or divert these students to neighboring schools. This reassignment may take place at any time between May 1st and the 20th school day of the new school year.

Annotated Annual Kindergarten Round-Up Enrollment Procedures

Each year during the month of January, a two week initial enrollment period (Kindergarten Round-Up) will be held.
The enrollment period for 2008-09 will be held from Janaury 21 to February 1, 2008.
If after the initial two week period there are more students than available spaces,
Space is determined by initial enrollment projections made by the district in early January. If there are not more students than proejcted space, this process ends and we revert back to first come, first serve for those students that enroll after the two week period has ended.
first enrollment priority will be given to siblings of currently enrolled students living in the zone of attendance
Only applies to students within that school attendance zone
2006-07 School Attendance Zones (a very large 6MB file) boundary maps are posted at the schools and the district web site.
that have returned a completed application
A completed application consists of enrollment forms, presentation of original birth certificate, immunization record that is medically up to date, parent/guardian picture identification and proof of residency with original documents.
within the two week period. The remaining students
Those without resident siblings in that school.
will be assigned enrollment priority numbers through a random drawing.
Held within one week of the end of the two week period.
These students will then be enrolled until all spaces are filled.
Example - A school projected space for 60 kindergartners and recieved 64 completed applications, including 10 that have siblings already in the school. The 10 kinergartners with siblings would be enrolled. The remaining 54 applicants would be randomly assigned number 1-54. A representative of student services will randomly assign the number. Number 1-50 would also be enrolled. Numebrs 51-54 would be subject to the following.
The remaining students will also be provisionally enrolled, and given a notice that they may be placed at a different school.
When students are diverted from their home school, subject to available seats, we place them at the nearest school to thier home school. We also work with families to provide other choices if the next closest school does not work for daycare or other family concerns. After two week round-up, remaining seats will be filled on a first come - first serve basis.
Depending on how many students a school is over capacity, the district may open an additional class at the school,
This depends on the availability of a suitable classroom.
or divert these students to neighboring schools. This reassignment may take place at any time between May 1st and the 20th school day of the new school year.
The timing of reassignment depends on the capacity and level of enrollment at the neighboring schools where students may possibly be sent.

Enrollment Priorities

(Note: These priorities do not relate for Kidnergarten Roundup)

Schools receiving requests for admission and intradistrict enrollment requests shall give priority for attendance in the following order:

First: Students residing in the school's attendance area.
Second: Students diverted from their resident attendance zone.
Third: Siblings of children already in attendance at the school.
Fourth: Students placements requesting transfers from Title I schools identified for program improvement.
Fifth: Students requesting transfers who are victims of an on-campus violent crime or are attending a school identified as persistently dangerous.
Sixth: Students approved through the AUSD open enrollment program.
Seventh: Children of district employees applying under the Allen Bill.
Eighth: Students applying under the Allen Bill.
Ninth: Students applying under an interdistrict transfer.

If attendance area boundaries need to be adjusted, the Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services will recommend procedures to assure an equitable redistribution of student enrollment with Governing Board approval.

Suggestions for Improving AUSD Enrollment Process

Gained form School Neighborhood Meetings on Kindergarten Enrollment Policy

October 10-17, 2007

As a result of holding school community meetings to discuss potential changes to AUSD's kindergarten enrollment policy, many useful suggestions were made to improve the district's enrollment process. While some suggestions may not be practical due to resource constraints or Education Code regulations, other suggestions may offer new ways to help families make the transition into their new school. The Office of Student Services will work to implement or adapt the following suggestions for the 2008-09 school year.

  • Provide pre-school parents with some form of a "Notes of Intent to Register". While it is not possible to guarantee a space for students in advance of the Annual Kindergarten Roudn-Up, such a process could provide an additional source of information for school specific projections, as well as district enrollment projections. Such a process could also provide an opportunity for early communication with potential AUSD parents, thereby acquainting them with their educational system and helping them to affiliate with their neighborhood school.
  • Do better outreach to Alameda's pre-school and local parent networks in order to provide information about the district's kindergarten enrollment process, educational programs and meetings of interest.
  • Utilize more non-traditional sources to gather enrollment information, for example Coast Guard engineering contacts, school surveys of siblings, PTA neighborhood surveys, etc. Parents we heard from were very willing to assist with surveys in order to provide an additional source of information for projecting enrollment.
  • Do better outreach to support Coast Guard families who have not yet relocated to Alameda. If a Coast Guard Housing Office or official can verify in writing that a family has been assigned to Alameda housing, then we should consider accepting this as a proof of residency in order to complete a student's registration packet.
  • Do a better job of communicating enrollment procedures to parents in writing. While formal enrollment policies can be written in "legalese" there is a need for a simple parent- friendly version that include examples. First time parents in the system may not be familiar with our enrollment procedures and terms. We should make these clear and understandable in order to relieve anxiety about the process and welcome them into our school family, e.g. we should put in writing that if a student is diverted, parents have a choice of the closest school and other schools based on space available.

Staff presented a chart of the Kindergarten enrollment process for other school disticts.

There were 13 speakers with 10 speakers requesting that the staff recommendation not be adopted. One speaker presented the idea of an advance registration system that could be used. The idea involved allowing parents to register their child as early as birth and would set their enrollment priority at the time of registration.

Fiscal Implications: None

Superintendent Goal: Goal #3 Ensure safe edcuational environment.

2.) Approval of BP 1330 Use of School Facilities –Facility Use Fees

Background: The revision of the BP 1330 Use of School Facilities –Facility Use Fees approved at May 22,2007 BOE Meeting created a fiscal hardship for groups providing supervised youth recreational activities. Staff is recommending granting these orgranizations a 75% waiver on FY 07/08 and a 50% waiver in FY 08/09.

Here is the documentation from the May 22 BOE meeting:

The Board approved certain measures when they approved $1,400,000 in spending reductions in February, 2007. One of those measures was to increase revenue from leases and facility rental by $40,000. The revied policy directs district staff to charge all users except "school-related organizations whose activities are directly related to or for the benefit of district schools.

While the rates charged for facility used are not changing, the classification of groups who will be charged is being recommended. As a result, a number of non-profit organizations (Group 2) including youth sponsored athletic groups and community organizations will now be subject to paying for facility usage.

Here is the definitions of groups under the policy:

Group 1

School activities generated by School District personnel or volunteers for purposes directly related to the education and enrichment of School District students, as directed or approved by the School Board or District Office administration, and/or for the purpose of employee gatherings related to the operation of the District. Users in this classification include:

  • School employees in the performance of their duties
  • PTA and other school-associated parent/teacher/student associations
  • Student Body clubs
  • Booster clubs

Group 2

Direct cost rent is defined as an estimate of those costs of supplies, utilities, custodial services, building maintenance, services of any other District employees, and salaries paid to School District employees as a result of the organization’s use of the school facilities and grounds of the District. Users in this classification include:

  • Civic and service groups whose purpose, through the use of school facilities, is to improve the general welfare of the community, and whose net receipts are expended for welfare of the youth or other charitable purposes.
  • Conduct of religious services for temporary periods, on a one-time or renewable basis, by any church or religious organization which has no suitable meeting place for the conduct of services while meeting.
  • Proposed Change

    Orgnizations providing supervised youth recreational activities as defined in Ed Code 38131(b)(6) open to the students of the AUSD will receive a 75% waiver of the Group 2 Fees in FY 07/08 and 50% waiver in FY 08/09

Group 3

Fair market rent represents a rate for commercial activity, regardless of where profit is generated within the organization.

  • This fee structure may apply even to “nonprofit” organizations where organizers, activity supervisors, coaches, etc., draw salary from the activity or organization, and participation fees are received from students or adults.
  • Rental where admission or participation fees are charged, or contributions are solicited and the net receipts are not expended for the welfare of the pupils of the District or for charitable purposes.
  • Rentals which are not directly beneficial to youth, public school activities of the District, or general welfare of the community.
. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3
. Group 1 no charges $ per hour $ per hour
Regular Classroom . $8.00 $30.00
Faculty Room . $8.00 $20.00
Choral Rm, Band Rm, or Library . $10.00 $28.00
Multipurpose or Cafeteria . $13.00 $30.00
Kitchen (no use of appliances) . $13.00 $30.00
Kitchen (use of appliances) . will be billed by Food Services
Little Theater . $20.00 $50.00
Middle School Gymnasium . $18.00 $45.00
High School Gymnasium . $30.00 $70.00
Parking Lot . $3.00 $12.00
Tennis Courts . $3.00 $12.00
Swimming Pool . $30.00 $70.00
Baseball Field . $5.00 $20.00
Softball Field . $4.00 $15.00
Soccer Field . $10.00 $25.00
Football Field . $15.00 $30.00
. . . .
Non-Custodial Cost $0.00. $2.25 $2.25
Custodial Cost –
When a custodian is on duty
$0.00 $0.00 $33.00
When a custodian is not on duty (overtime) $46.00 $46.00 $46.00
Sunday & Holiday overtime $60.00. $60.00 $60.00

The Board approved the revision to the policy.

Fiscal Implications: None as the budgeted increase of $20,000 will still be met

Superintendent Goal: Goal 2.) Spending plan alignment

3.) Chipman Middle School Program Improvement (PI) Status Report

Background: Staff presented a status report on Chipman Middle School Program Improvement classification under No Child Left Behind.

Superintendent Goal: #1 Closing the achievement gap

 

 

 
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Last modified: October 24, 2007

Disclaimer: This website is the sole responsibility of Mike McMahon. It does not represent any official opinions, statement of facts or positions of the Alameda Unified School District. Its sole purpose is to disseminate information to interested individuals in the Alameda community.