Board Meeting Summary January 11, 2022
Remembering Joyce Dalessandro
Our community held a moment of silence for the passing on December 29th of Joyce Dalessandro. Ms. Dalessandro was a board member for 24 years and witnessed tremendous growth in our District during that time. As the only current trustees who served with Ms. Dalessandro, Trustees Mossy and Muir added some touching remarks. Joyce welcomed Melisse to the Board in her early days and Mo talked about Joyce’s dedication to the District and to Torrey Pines, in particular, where her children attended school.
The Torrey Pines Scholarship Foundation will have a perpetual scholarship in her name. More info at TPHSSF.org
Recognition of Staff
While the community was taking a holiday break and enjoying some welcome time off, many employees worked straight through the break. Dr. Ward detailed some of their activities: contact tracing; clean-up of SDA; meeting with members of the public, press and law enforcement; and the organization and distribution of 13,000 antigen test kits. The test kits, in particular, presented a challenge that Dr. Ward described as an “all hands on deck” event. The County was late in receiving the kits from the State and so this presented a challenge in getting them out to families before the start of the term. Thank you to everyone who waited in long lines and sent each other “helpful hints” about where and how to pick them up most efficiently.
The communication associated with the tests was confusing, with contradictory instructions from different sources about taking and reporting test results. I will continue to stress the importance of clear, concise, and straightforward communication.
During the meeting we heard that the County will be distributing KN94 masks to the District so that those who want them, can pick them up.
California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) Redistricting Process and Timelines
Federal law requires that each Trustee Election Area be approximately equal in population, with a maximum 10% variance between the largest and smallest areas. Laws also require that each Trustee Area be contiguous (no islands of geography) and that communities of interest should be drawn together (for example, the City of Del Mar should be in one area).
The results of the 2020 census show that our Trustee Areas are now out of compliance with the equal population requirement, so we will have to adjust the Trustee Area boundaries.
Trustee Bronstein and I have been working with staff and we presented a Timeline that was adopted by the full Board.
Timeline
January 17 - Website and system launched to allow for public input and submission of alternative maps for Board consideration.
January 20 - Review and revise the process as appropriate at the regular Board meeting.
February 4 – Final day to submit alternative maps.
February 8 - Special Board Meeting to select final three Trustee Area Map alternatives.
February 17 - Regular Board Meeting to adopt Final Trustee Area Map.
It is important to note that members of the public will be able to submit alternative maps through the website for the Board to consider. More information will be provided in the coming days.
Resolution on In-Person Education
Board President Muir brought forward an In-Person Education proposed resolution that was, with some slight change in wording, adopted 5-0.
In summary, it states:
“The US Surgeon General issued an advisory on COVID-19’s impact on youth’s mental health, calling it a ‘crisis.’ The US Education Secretary’s comments on schools remaining open, ‘They've suffered enough,’ and ‘Keeping students in school is critical for them, for our communities, for our parents,’ leads San Dieguito Union High School District to this resolution to ensure our students’ social-emotional wellbeing.”
The community and I worked hard last year to open our schools. It was a battle every day and I will fight any attempt to go backward on our position regarding in-person school. I was happy to support President Muir’s Resolution. We cannot let fear of the current or future variants keep our children from obtaining their fundamental right to a free and in-person education.
Teleconference Meetings
To continue remote video conference options for Board Meetings, we need to pass this resolution every 30 days. The Resolution passed 5-0.
Increase for Substitute Pay Rate
We now offer $250 a day for substitute teachers and $280 a day for long-term subs. This will be in effect until the end of the school year, or until the Board makes a change. There is a good post in the Facebook Group SDUHSD Families for Students First (https://www.facebook.com/groups/346045943449783) by Kim Morris that gives more information. Anyone interested in helping as a substitute can go to the website sandieguitosubstitutes.com.