Lauren JenningsVisalia Times-Delta
Looking for more information about what happened during this week’s school board meeting?
Here’s a recap of what you may have missed:
Visalia Unified School District board members first listened to an update regarding the district’s special education services.
Historically, according to data provided by the district, around 10% of California students benefit from special education supports each year. However, the state's percentage increased by nearly 3% over the last few years.
Visalia Unified's percentage is expected to increase by more than 3.5% by the end of the year.
“The pandemic magnified some students’ needs for specialized services, including special education,” Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Andy Di Meo said. “… [W]e want to make sure all of our students continue to show educational growth in school, so we are working to align our systems to be in the best position possible for the future.”
In response, the district completed an analysis of its special education support systems with the help of RTH Strategic Planning and Consulting and reorganized the department’s overall organizational structure.
Visalia Unified is in the process of conducting consultant-facilitated onsite planning, leadership development, and team-building activities.
Eventually, the district will establish priorities for its special education sites throughout the district and will develop a system to track the level of success for all students.
School board members then listened to a breakdown of the district’s response regarding student behavior and student and teacher safety.
Mark Thompson, assistant superintendent of learning and leadership said, Visalia Unified staff began focusing on disengaged ninth and tenth-grade students in the middle of April to connect with them and ask them what they needed to feel more supported.
Since then, out of the 54 participating high school students, 35 saw improved grades; more than 50% saw an improvement in attendance.
“With any new systems, there are some challenges, and we try to do better,” Mt. Whitney High School teacher Victoria Johnson said. “Many of the students need some extra TLC (tender loving care) — each one of them comes with a story.”
The process is ongoing and will continue in the fall of 2023.
“I lose sleep over these kids,” Board President Walta Gamoian said, “and I feel very hopeful. I feel things willbe different for our kids who are having trouble coping in the classroom.”
Consent Calendar
Visalia Unified school board members then voted to accept the agenda’s consent calendar, meaning no discussion on the calendar’s contents occurred.
By accepting the calendar, school board members approved a three-year, standard student data privacy agreement between the district and Cityspan Technologies, Inc.
The agreement provides Visalia Unified with the security parameters necessary to protect student data as it migrates from PowerSchool to Cityspan — ProYouth’s student information system.
Board members also approved a renewal agreement with 6crickets for $109,500 for an expanded learning management platform to help support the district’s expanded learning opportunities programs.
School board members approved the renewal of a memorandum of understanding with the Tulare County Office of Education for migrant student services.
The migrant educational program is federally funded and designed to support comprehensive educational programs for migrant students and help reduce potential educational disruptions from repeated moves.
Board members also approved an agreement between Willis Towers Watson and Visalia Unified School for insurance archaeology and insurance recovery consulting services.
“The objective of this agreement is to secure insurer participation in the defense costs and indemnity costs incurred in connection with litigation arising from historical events in Visalia Unified School District,” the agenda packet reads. The agreement cost is capped at $30,000.
School board members approved renewing the district’s myHeggerty digital license for around $24,000.
The phonemic awareness program is designed to help kindergarten, first, and second-grade students develop strong foundational skills for reading and writing.
The curriculum includes short, interactive daily lessons that focus on developing a student's ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in words. Heggerty also provides lessons in Spanish and is currently used by Visalia Unified’s dual immersion program.
Board members also approved renewing an agreement between Visalia Adult School and ABLE, which provides a job developer to help assist disabled adult students with development and placement services.
School board members renewed an agreement between Visalia Adult School and the Outreach and Technical Assistance Network.
This agreement allows the adult school access to 50 CANVAS web-based learning management system licenses. The licenses are used for medical and English as a second language program.
Board members also approved a lease agreement for additional space adjacent to district-leased space onSunnyview Avenue. The additionalspace will be used to store extra materials.
School board members approved Mt. Whitney High School gymnasium modifications, including replacing the bleachers, painting the gym walls and ceiling, replacing the gym floor under the bleachers to match the new flooring, and adding Tectum Acoustical Ceiling Panels for sound reduction.
The total project cost is estimated at around $623,000 and will be funded by Fund 400.
The renovations will take place over the summer.
School board members also approved the installation of artificial turf at Highland Elementary School.
“The current grass does not grow in the summer due to minimal sun and becomes a mud basin in the winter,” the agenda packet reads. “The installation of artificial turf will provide the site with year-round field use.”
The total project cost is estimated at around $977,000 and will be funded by Expanded Learning Opportunities Program and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III funds.
The installation will take place over the summer.
School board members also approved revisions toVisalia Unified board policies. The changes are due to the California School Boards Association updating their sample board policies and advising districts to review and modifytheir policies as needed.
General Agenda
School board members approved the proposed salaries for Visalia Unified’s superintendent, assistant superintendents, district managers, classified chiefs, and some administrators.
Per the agreement, the aforementioned positions will receive a cost of living adjustment of 8.22% for the 2023-24 school year. Each contract lasts four years, the maximum allowed, ending on June 30, 2027.
Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Andy Di Meo, currently on Step 2 of the Assistant Superintendent’s Salary Schedule, will receive $248,155.
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Development Ben Dhillon, currently on Step 2 of the Assistant Superintendent’s Salary Schedule, will receive $248,155.
Assistant Superintendent of Learning and Leadership Mark Thompson, currently on Step 3 of the Assistant Superintendent’s Salary Schedule, will receive $254,970.
Superintendent Kirk Shrum, on Step 2 of the Superintendent’s Salary Schedule, will receive $336,757.
The combined cost for the salary increases is around $4,890,400 for all four years.
The Visalia Unified school board meets again at 7 p.m. on June 13 in the boardroom at the District Office at 5000 W. Cypress Ave.
