USD Board Meeting Highlights

The Board and Superintendent recognized 20 individuals for their commitment to students and families in their five years of service in Union School District. Each spring, USD will typically honor years of service awardees at our annual Employee Recognition event but was unable to do so in-person. This year, USD will honor groups of employees for their years of service at each Board Meeting. Congratulations to our second group of service award recipients!

From left to right: Dr. Carrie Andrews, Sana Nassar, Adriana Salamat, Board President Jennifer Petroff and Cameron Rodriguez; Other award recipients: Ayesha Ahmad, Lina Akiki, April Cheim, Laura Chen-Evans, Jose Hernandez, Heather Lee, Josephine Morle, Pritikana Prasad, Michelle Romero, Suzanne Tabayoyon, Eduard Tugade, Anna Uhm, Kandyce Wing, and Samantha Young

Principal Dale Jones shared a glimpse into the Occupational Therapy (OT) program at Guadalupe. He highlighted how this important service provides much needed support for students. Mr. Jones introduced Melissa Cameron, Guadalupe’s Occupational Therapist on staff who highlighted how occupational therapy is incorporated into the school day. She shared how the sensory room assists students with fine and gross motor skills and with developing sensory regulation which in turn prepares students for learning. OT provides students with tools and strategies to self-regulate in order to enable them to be successful inside and outside of the classroom. Another wonderful asset that the OT program provides is support for all students by pushing into the classroom for specific lessons. This specialized program provides support that is needed and targeted in our schools for our students.

Rita Sohal, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services and Superintendent Dr. Carrie Andrews presented an update on the District budget to date. Mrs. Sohal highlighted the key changes with revenue/expenditures since the June 2021 adopted budget. The key fiscal changes include Special Education funding, Lease revenue, salaries and benefits one-time and ongoing changes. Assistant Superintendent Sohal gave an overview of the fiscal changes and the impact on the three year multi-year general fund. Given the revenue changes since June, a 2.9 million reduction in year three of 2023-24 is not needed to meet 3% minimum reserve requirement. However, as USD relies heavily on the lease revenue for general programs/staffing, the lease revenue reserve is projected to decrease substantially over the next three years.

Superintendent Dr. Andrews shared, the District continues to plan for a long term fiscal plan to increase revenue in the future years in addition to the current revenue streams as a means to maintain the wonderful existing programs/staffing levels. As such, we will need to continue a collaborative conversation with the Board to discuss the budget and potential long term solutions.

Next steps will include discussions on additional long term revenue enhancement options and the development of a fiscal stabilization plan to ensure we continue the high caliber programs/staffing supports for students. Assistant Superintendent Sohal will present the first interim budget at the December Board meeting as the next update as to multi-year projections that encompass revenue/expenditures over the next three fiscal years.

• Click here to view the presentation.

The federal stimulus funding outlined in the ESSER III plan is the third act of federal relief in response to COVID-19, following the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law on March 27, 2020, and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021.

Sarah Jellin, Associate Superintendent of Learning and Innovation, provided an overview of the ESSER III plan and how Union School District will use ESSER III grant funds to implement strategies for continuous and safe in-person learning and to address students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs, as well as any opportunity gaps that existed before, and were worsened by, the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Click here to view the presentation.

The Board of Trustees received and held a Public Hearing of California School Employees Association’s (CSEA) Reopener to the Contract for the 2021-22 school year. The current 2019-22 contract contains a reopener to negotiate salary and benefits for the 2021-22 school year. The proposal is being “sunshined” during the October 11th Board Meeting per Ed Code requirement. The Board unanimously approved the acceptance of CSEA reopener as it relates to compensation and benefits.

California School Employees Association and its local Chapter 704 informed the Board of Trustees of its desire to modify and/ or amend: Article VI - Compensation & Benefits.

• Click here to view the sunshine statement from CSEA.

The Board of Trustees accepted the District’s Williams Uniform Complaints report for the July 1 through September 30, 2021 quarter, which indicated no complaints regarding textbooks and instructional materials, teacher vacancy or misassignments, and facility conditions were filed with any school in the District.

During this school year, it was necessary to decrease hours/services based on various student and school needs. Due to the reduction in services as per a student’s IEP services, it was necessary to reduce .125 FTE in the classified services. Click here to view the resolution.

Please join us for our next regular Board of Trustees Meeting on November 15, 2021. The meeting will be held at the USD District Office Board Room at 5175 Union Ave. Visit the Board of Trustees page for virtual meeting access and information on future meetings.

Board of Trustees

Sheila Billings

Vickie Brown

Doug Evans

Jennifer Petroff

Thomas E. Rossmeissl

Superintendent

Dr. Carrie Andrews

Email: vanherkl@unionsd.org
Website: www.unionsd.org
Location: 5175 Union Avenue, San Jose, CA, USA
Phone: 408-377-8010
Facebook: facebook.com/UnionSchoolDistrict
Twitter: @USDUpdates