By Penny Weaver, Superintendent Scotts Valley Unified School District
Teachers and support staff returned to school with a welcome back breakfast and a fitting salute to the incredibly talented group. School board members, city council members, the mayor, police chief, fire district chief, Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, Rotary Club, County Superintendent of Schools, S4C Executive Director and local dignitaries served breakfast to SVUSD staff and wished all a successful 2014-2015 school year.
Our “Build It” year means building our program with Common Core State Standards, building our relationships with students, parents, and our community and preparing to rebuild Scotts Valley Middle School (SVMS).
Progress is being made to reduce class sizes overall and especially in Kindergarten through third grade. Classes at those grade levels are now averaging 25 students per teacher. Some enrollment growth is noted throughout the district which caused additional staff to be hired at second grade and one position was increased from part time to full time to serve students in special education programs.
Since Measure A, the District’s facility bond measure, passed in June with 72.17% approval, the request for proposals (RFP) for architect services has been drafted along with a conceptual master plan for facilities for SVMS. The RFP is scheduled to publish about four weeks beginning the first week of September. A committee will review the proposals and invite selected firms to an interview. Recommendations are expected to be discussed by school board members in October. As the planning phase progresses into the design phase, funds will be needed to further the work.
We are preparing for the first issuance of bonds later this fall. State law requires that the Board of Trustees appoint a Community Oversight Committee (COC) to work with the District. Applications were received and 16 community members were appointed in August. Their role is to inform the public concerning the District’s expenditure of Measure A bond proceeds, to review expenditure reports produced by the District to ensure that bond proceeds were expended only for the purposes set forth in Measure A, and to present to the Board of Trustees an annual written report.
New sidewalk construction is underway in front of Vine Hill Elementary School. This project is not part of the District’s facilities bond program. We are fortunate that the City of Scotts Valley was awarded a special safe routes to school grant. Part of the grant funds are dedicated to the installation of sidewalks in front of VHE on Vine Hill School Road and Tabor Drive. The District is also working on a joint project proposal with the City on improving the small turf field at Scotts Valley High School. The city-school district partnership, enabled by unwavering leadership, is greatly benefitting our students.
Our dedicated Board of Trustees will continue working together through the next election cycle. Board President Art Bubb, Members John Abel and Kim Shultz filed for election in August. All three are appointed in lieu of election as no other candidates filed for office. The appointments will save the district about $40,000 in the cost of an election and will provide continuity in leadership as the district engages in the construction project and implementation of our goals.
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Email: Penny Weaver at pweaver@scotts valleyusd.org or call 831-438-1820 extension 105 or write to Scotts Valley Unified School District 4444 Scotts Valley Drive, Suite 5B Scotts Valley, California 95066