School Board Report for June 5, 2025

Here are the links to the agenda and the YouTube video of the meeting.

Below is the time stamp from the video with events relevant to our members.  All of the powerpoints noted can be found in the agenda.

• The following items were pulled from the agenda consent section vii

  • Items J & K:  VAPA Strategic Plan (ppt) and prop 28 plan (ppt)

  • Item R:  Construction agreement with CORE West, Inc. for pre-construction services for the new high school/middle school in the Folsom Planning Area

• [1:20] Introductions: 

  • Yvonne Thornton, CHS teacher, climate facilitator, and  instructional coach, was announced as the new AP at CHS.  Congratulations!

  • Jason Striker was introduced as a new Special Education Manager.  Jason was formerly the Exec. Director of Spec. Ed. and SELPA at Twin Rivers.  Welcome Jason. 

• [1:28] Items VII:  J & K

  • These were pulled by a community member.  You can hear his public statements in the recording at the provided time stamp regarding music curriculum and its relation to college readiness.  Both items were approved by the school board on a 5-0 vote.

• Special presentations

  • [1:37] (ppt)  Peter Maroon recognized all of our sports teams and individuals who had earned All-League and other accolades.  37% of our secondary students participated in athletics in 2024025.  Additionally 462 4th and 5th graders participated in track and field compared to 355 last year. Congratulations to the students, teams, coaches, and families.

  • [1:52]  (ppt)  The Community Schools team and Carla Gaymon-Davis shared highlights and accomplishments from this past year.  FCUSD’s community schools are garnering notice for their effectiveness and focus on collaboration and changing mindsets that is well deserved.

• District Organizations

  • [2:25] (ppt)  SAB:  Van Merrill and Mia George, graduated student school board members, presented a report to highlight SAB events and work from the past school year.  Kudos to all the students participating and for the leadership Van and Mia have shown.  FCUSD values student voice and our students have proven to be up to the challenge of accepting agency in the direction of our district.

  • [2:46] FCEA President’s Report:  Jeannette’s speech touched on concerns over the proposed contract in item R pulled earlier.  These range from not yet having secured financing for the school to questions about the company.  Jeannette also offered a brief history lesson on FLEX time in FCUSD. 

• [2:52] Item VII:  R

  • Sean Martin shared a FAQ document to address the questions the district and school board members had received from the public.  Several speakers from construction unions shared their concern about the RFP process and scoring.  The board also raised concerns that recognized that while this contract is for pre-construction, there are implications for the huge construction contract for the actual build.  The Board directed staff to have the facilities subcommittee revise the RFP and score by mid-September to address the concerns raised.  It will take approx. two months after this process for this item to return to the board.

Public Hearing:  Board meeting gaveled out of open session and moved to public hearing for the next three times.

• [3:57] Native American Title VI Education Program Grant - Elena Cabrera verbally presented some highlights of activities supported by this grant over the past year.

• [4:01] (ppt)  LCAP Plan 2025-26 -Elena Cabrera presented this update prior to it returning on the June 18th Board Agenda for adoption.  Hre are the common themes that emerged from the “data walks”

• Academic Support and Instruction

  • Provide targeted support for students struggling in subjects like math, reading, and writing.

  • Expand advanced learning programs for high-achieving students.

• English Language Learner (ELL) and Special Education Support

  • More support for students learning English and patience for non-native speakers.

  • Provide more translation services for parents who speak other languages.

  • Improve special education services and ensure inclusive learning environments.

• Homework, Assignments, and Communication

  • Improve communication between teachers and parents, especially regarding homework and struggling students.

  • Provide timely feedback and direct communication about missing assignments.

• Student Engagement and Well-being

  • Increase counselor-student meetings to provide academic and emotional support.

  • Encourage teachers to check in with students regularly to understand their needs.

• College and Career Readiness

  • Offer internships and job shadowing opportunities in fields like medicine and STEM.

  • Improve guidance on A-G requirements and college preparation resources.

• Extracurricular Activities and Enrichment

  • Expand music, theater, and art programs to support creative expression.

  • Increase clubs and after-school activities to engage students outside the classroom.

• School Policies and Campus Improvements

  • Provide more playground supervision and campus safety measures.

  • Improve library resources and Chromebook support for students.

• Teacher Quality and Professional Development

  • Hire more qualified teachers and improve training on diverse learning styles.

  • Encourage more engaging teaching methods 

• Parent Involvement and Communication

  • Increase parent engagement opportunities in school activities and decision-making.

  • Ensure better customer service from front office staff when parents call or visit.

• Equity and Inclusion

  • Improve support for students with disabilities and create inclusive learning environments.

  • Ensure all students have equal access to high-quality education and resources.

• [4:03] (ppt) 2025-26 Tentative Budget:  Sean Martin presented the many unknowns and challenges embedded in the three year budget  building process as well as work the district will be undertaking in the next year to address them prior to this item returning on the June 18th School Board Agenda for adoption.  

• 11 pm:  Discussion-return to school board open session.

  • [6:05] (ppt)  Safety Advisory Committee Update and focus for 2025-26:  Highlights from the past school year as well as recommendations for 2025-26.  Interested in joining the committee?  See the QR code and info on slide 11?

  • [6:28] (ppt) FCUSD graduation credits:  At the request of the Board, Julie Werner overviewed graduation requirements and how each high school schedule works with those credits.  The slides include an overview of how some neighboring districts handle credits on a 4x4 schedule and highlights two new graduation requirements: Ethnic Studies (class of 2030) and Financial Literacy (class of 2031).  Board members expressed concern that FHS students do not have access to additional courses that CHS and VdLHS offer.  Principal Cadenhead and his team are having discussions looking at potential schedules that might be comparable to CHS.  This topic will return in the fall when it will hopefully not be at 11:30 at night.

• Information - on the agenda but not presented due to the late hour.

  • (ppt) Futures in Focus:  Supporting the success of foster youth

  • (pdf) Modernization and new construction updates:  Summary of modernization and construction projects as of June 1, 2025.  This overview includes current projects and those in the planning stages.