Highlights – School Board Regular meeting of October 11, 2005

The Menlo Park City School District Board of Education held its regular meeting on October 11, 2006, and a special meeting on October 25, 2006. Highlights of these meetings of the Board are presented for your information. The next Regular School Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 15, 2006, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room at the District Office, 181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton. (The text of Official Minutes is posted to the District Website following Board approval.)

Highlights of the October 11, 2006, Regular Board Meeting:

• An analysis of two options for foreign language instruction for the elementary grades (1) an Immersion Program, and (2) FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools Program) was presented.
  
  
• Facility Planner/Program Manager Ahmad Sheikholeslami presented information on the development of a Facility Master Plan that will guide the planning and construction of facilities during the next several years and ensure the accomplishments of the overall Bond Program.
• Information was reviewed concerning the first sale of General Obligation Bonds scheduled for February 20, 2007.
  
  
• A report was presented regarding the Summer School for 2007, the purpose of which was to identify areas of improvement to ensure that the elementary summer school program is more relevant to the needs of District students.
  
  
• The anticipated outcomes of a Transportation Study being done for the District by FCMAT were discussed. A report to the Board will be made regarding the findings of the study after the first of the year.
  
  
• There was a public hearing on California School Employees Association’s (CSEA) initial proposal for the 2006-07 school year.
  
  
• Recommended Bylaws for the District’s Bond Oversight Committee, in compliance with the provisions of Proposition 39, were unanimously approved by the Board.
  
  
• Appointment of the following members of the Bond Oversight Committee was unanimously approved: representing school leadership organizations – Carey Pickus (PTO) and Mark Box (Foundation); representing the business community – Les Koonce (financial planning and insurance and a neighbor of Hillview); active in a senior organization – Robert Collins (San Mateo County Commission on Aging, Ombudsman); parent or guardian in the District – Mark Gilles (Oak Knoll Parent and a CPA) and Marybeth Suhr (Hillview parent and a CFA). The District will continue to recruit a representative of a bona taxpayers’ organization.
  
  
• The Board unanimously approved authorization for the Superintendent to enter into a contract with Applied Survey Research (ASR). Applied Survey Research will facilitate the planning process for the District’s Local Performance Index (LPI) which is one of the primary purposes of strategic planning this year.
  
  
• There was a second reading and unanimous adoption by the Board of Board Policy 5030, Student Wellness.

Highlights of the October 25, 2006 Special Board Meeting:

A Study Session, on the configuration of the elementary schools in the Menlo Park City School District, was held by the Board. The Study Session included a presentation by the Superintendent, input from consultants (Construction Manager, Architect, Demographer) an opportunity for input from parents and Community members, and unanimous action by the Board on the following recommendations:

• Reconfigure Laurel School from a K-2 to a K-3; Encinal School from a 3-5 to a K-5; Oak Knoll to remain as a K-5
• Determine and achieve the reconfiguration of Menlo Park City Elementary Schools through an adjustment of school boundaries, to probably be implemented in the fall of 2008
• Construct the Educational Resource Center at Encinal School
• Maintain the lease at O’Connor School until 2011, yet reserve $1.75 million of bond proceeds for development of the campus if enrollment exceeds projections in the future

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The next regular School Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 15^th at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room at` the District Office, 181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton. A special meeting of the Board will be held at 6:30 p.m. on November 15^th to honor retiring Board Members Carol Orton and Nancy Serrurier.

(The text of official Minutes is posted to the District Web Site following Board approval.)