The La Cañada Unified School District discussed the Summer Success Academy and the increase to the parcel tax at the Aug. 14 Board of Education meeting.
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations Melissa Greenwood gave a report to the Board regarding the parcel tax, which is scheduled to increase by 3%.
Residents who are not exempted will be charged $486.95 to their annual property tax bill.
The purpose of the tax is to offset some of the impacts of state budget cuts. In 2009, La Cañada Flintridge voters approved Measure LC, and it continues to provide reliable funding for essential instructional programs for students.
The funding would help support and continue advanced math, science and technology programs, attract and retain qualified teachers, maintain manageable class sizes, and prepare students for the best colleges and careers.
“The district receives about $2.5 million in parcel taxes annually in revenue to lower class sizes, offer additional electives and technology,” Greenwood told the Outlook Valley Sun.
The increase of 3% is the maximum rate the district can increase the tax, based on inflation for the L.A. Metro area.
“The purpose of this action is to review the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim Annual CPI and determine the inflation increase based on this metric as called out in the parcel tax language,” read the Aug. 14 agenda. “The district looks at the annual change for each of the prior 12 months. The average of those months will be the percentage increase added to the previous year’s parcel tax amount, not to exceed 3%.”
“Thank you very much to everybody who does support the parcel tax,” said LCUSD Board member Octavia Thuss. “Greatly appreciated.”
SUMMER SUCCESS ACADEMY
The district has completed its second year of the Summer Success Academy. Associate Superintendent of Educational Services Anais Wenn presented an update to the Board of Education at the meeting last Monday.
The academy ran from June 12 to July 14 for students who did not meet grade-level standards by the end of the third trimester.
“The SSA focused on developing the academic, social, emotional and physical needs and interests of pupils through hands-on, engaging learning experiences,” read the Aug. 14 agenda.
This year, LCUSD partnered with the YMCA of the Foothills and catered to 158 students, “which is almost double of what the enrollment was last year,” said Wenn. The program not only offered academic help, but also enrichment programs and students could be enrolled in both or one. Enrichment programs ranged from arts and crafts to sport activities and gardening.
“The goal of the program is to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment with an academic, social, emotional and physical growth of our students,” said Wenn.
The academy, which cost $118,000 this year, is funded through the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, a grant funding opportunity seeking to accelerate student learning and strengthen student engagement with out-of-school time programs.
The district also made changes to better support the growth of the program by contacting families about the program in early March, recruiting staff in February and extending the program by two weeks.
The students who participated also received lunch and snacks each day provided by the district’s food services.
The staff tested students at the beginning of the program and worked on the subjects they had trouble with, and at the end, students were tested again to see if they improved.
Students who participated ranged from TK to sixth grade and had an average score of 82.45% in math and 78.29% in English.
The district took away some key lessons and will focus on attendance moving forward. Officials will try to make sure parents inform teachers if students will be missing during the last week of the program when final assessments are made since some students went on vacation.
Although students weren’t required to attend the program, the district had a great turnout.
“We invite them, but it is their choice to participate or not,” said Wenn. “We cannot make it mandatory as parents have plans during summer and we cannot change their plans so that they can attend the program.”
“Students are in good hands,” said Wenn, adding that program teachers are in contact with school principals to make sure, “ … they don’t fall through the cracks, and we continue to fill in those gaps for them, if they still have any.”
Board Vice President Josh Epstein asked about the percentage of students who were in the program and were also unduplicated.
An unduplicated person is a student enrolled in a school district who is either classified as an English Language Learner, eligible for a free or reduced-price meal, or is a foster youth.
Wenn didn’t know the exact numbers for unduplicated participants, but said it was around 70% and that the enrichment program was only filled with unduplicated students.
Epstein also asked about the funding and if this program will continue next year.
“Is there a timeline on that funding?” asked Epstein.
Greenwood said that there is no timeline on the funding, but there might be more restrictions to it, like adding more days on top of the regular school year schedule.
“We are hoping to do it again next year,” said Wenn.
First published in the August 24 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
