Superintendent
Superintendent's Community Newsletter - December 2019
Dear San Carlos School District Community,
With the holidays rapidly approaching, it is a time to celebrate and remember what we most appreciate. As I reflect on the first part of the school year, I am appreciative of the dedication of our students, families, staff, school board and community. As we work together, we create an exciting future for our students. I wish you a fun-filled Winter Break and Happy New Year!
As always, thank you for your support and please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Michelle Harmeier, Ed.D.
Superintendent
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Thank You School Board Members - Michelle Nayfack and Eirene Chen
During the December 5th San Carlos School District Board of Trustees meeting, Dr. Michelle Nayfack was honored by staff, distinguished guests, and community members for her years of service to the San Carlos School District as a Trustee from 2015-2019. Her background as a teacher and researcher in education policy provided the Board an expertise and a larger perspective of public education policy beyond the SCSD boundaries. We thank her for time, dedication, and commitment to our students and community. She will be missed and we wish her luck in her future endeavors.
We also want to express our gratitude to Trustee Eirene Chen for continuing her service and leadership as a board member. Trustee Chen served from 2015-2019, ran uncontested for reelection in the recent November election, and will continue to serve through 2025. She brings her extensive business and education technology experience to her role.
Measure N Parcel Tax Renewal Information
To protect quality education for our elementary and middle school students, the San Carlos School Board placed Measure N on the March 3, 2020 ballot to renew and increase our existing local school parcel tax. Without the renewal of the current Measure P funding and increase through Measure N, some existing local school funding, about $2.2M, will expire and disappear from SCSD school budgets. San Carlos School District K-8 schools will have to make drastic cuts to academic programs, increase class sizes, and maintain only basics.
Our greatest needs for community-supported INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM SUPPORT include:
- Attracting and retaining qualified and experienced teachers
- Maintaining small class sizes
- Maintaining programs that support bringing all students up to the highest level possible in core subjects like math, reading, and writing
- Maintaining hands-on science, math, technology, and engineering programs
- Providing art, music, libraries, and a well-rounded education
Our school district makes every effort to use resources wisely. We have tightened our belt, improved efficiencies, and made cuts to limit impacting class size. We have also conducted a full assessment of all of our local school instructional program needs - including the need to retain our dedicated teachers and maintain core academics for children in grades K-8. It is clear we need additional local revenue to fund our core priorities.
To learn more about the Parcel Tax, visit our website scsdk8.org - 2019-2020 Parcel Tax Information. Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional comments or questions - Michelle Harmeier, Superintendent - mharmeier@scsdk8.org- (650) 590-5935.
LCAP Engagement
All school districts in California must create and maintain a three-year growth plan called the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). The LCAP is one portion of the budget development process and requires the district to monitor growth on SCSD's goal areas. This year, all districts will be developing a new three-year LCAP. Stakeholder engagement is a key component of the LCAP process, and we invite you to get involved. Representatives from each school will form the 2020 LCAP Parent Advisory Committee (PAC). The PAC serves in an advisory role to offer feedback on development and progress in each goal area. All parents/guardians are encouraged to engage in this process. Look for dates for the PAC to be announced early in 2020. These are public meetings and any member of the community is encouraged to attend. If you are interested in being a member of the PAC, please contact Assistant Superintendent, Hans Barber at hbarber@scsdk8.org - (650) 590-5935.
What You Can Do to Get Involved
- Annually completing the SCSD Strategic Plan Survey- look for an invitation to complete the survey in your email after February break
- Review the 2019-20 SCSD LCAP here
- Review resources from the California PTA here
- Attend a School Site Council meeting at your school
- Reach out to your school principal
- Attend a PAC Meeting
Budget Advisory Committee Update
The Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Committee met this week to learn about the First Interim Budget Report, the reason for the renewal and increase of the parcel tax ballot measure, and the group suggested ways to involve teachers, staff, and parents in the budget development process this year. With no new funding from the state projected at this time, the continuing increase in the cost of living in the Bay Area, and fluctuations in our enrollment, we need to identify areas to slightly reduce expenditures for next year. We will begin budget discussions with all stakeholder groups in January.
You can review the meeting documents on our website here. We invite parents, teachers, classified staff, administrators, and community members to join and want to make sure all schools have representation on the committee. If you would like to join the committee, please contact your school principal or Cathy Eitel, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent by phone: (650) 590-5935 OR by email: ceitel@scsdk8.org.
Winter Concerts
We have a robust music program for our students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade and some wonderfully talented musicians in our schools. I hope you were able to attend one of the many winter band and orchestra performances this week!
Mariposa Band Concert
Central Middle School Orchestra Performance
Upcoming District Events
Dec 19 School Board Meeting - 7:00 pm - District Office
Dec 20 - Jan 3 Winter Break - No School
Jan 6 No School - Teacher Professional Development Day
Jan 7 School Resumes
Jan 9 School Board Meeting - 7:00 pm - District Office
Jan 16 Budget Advisory Committee Meeting 3:45 pm - District Office
Jan 20 No School - MLK Holiday
Jan 23 School Board Meeting - 7:00 pm - District Office
Jan 31 STEM Fair at CMS
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Highlights of Recent School Board Meetings
To review board recorded videos, presentations and upcoming agendas - go to the Board Meetings page of the SCSD website.
December 5, 2019
- Spotlight on Excellence Recognition
- Board President Dr. Michelle Nayfack - was recognized for her service to the San Carlos School District as a Trustee from 2015-2019. Her background as a teacher and researcher in education policy has provided the Board an expertise and a larger perspective of public education policy beyond the SCSD boundaries.
- Received information on the Physical Fitness Test Results.
- Received information on the San Carlos Charter Learning Center (CLC) 2019-20 First Interim Budget Report.
- Approved the Sunshine SCSD - CSEA Negotiation Proposal for the 2019-2020 School Year.
- Approved the First Interim Budget Report with a qualified certification.
November 21, 2019
- Spotlight on Excellence - Recognized of an Outstanding District Program
- Ruby Bridges - Walk to School Day - On November 14, 2019 many of our schools joined the combined efforts of the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE), San Carlos School District Curriculum Services, and Safe Routes to School programs to celebrate Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.
- Received the annual enrollment report, providing comparisons between the last three school years and highlighting the work done prior to the opening of new student registration for the 2020-21 school year.
- Received the annual staffing report, providing staffing comparisons for classified and certificated staff between the last three school years.
- Held a discussion about the Draft First Interim Budget Report.
- Held a Public Hearing on calling an election for March 3, 2020, to impose a qualified special tax (“Parcel Tax”) on all parcels in the District’s boundaries. Public input was solicited concerning the proposed Parcel Tax measure.
- Approved Resolution #6:19/20 Calling for an Election for a Parcel Tax Measure on March 3, 2020.
- Approved the Reclassification MOU for the Maintenance Technician Position, Job Description, and Revised CSEA Salary Schedule.
- Received information on the Sunshine CSEA Negotiation Proposal for the 2019-2020 School Year
November 14, 2019
- Special Board Meeting - Parcel Tax Community Engagement Meeting
- Gathered input from community and staff regarding the renewal of Measure P Parcel Tax.