The Santee School District Board of Education met at 6 p.m. March 21, 2023. Meeting highlights included:
Discussion and Action Items
- The Board approved the appointment of Catherine Gaston as Coordinator of Special Education. Ms. Gaston has been supporting the Special Education department as a Program Specialist since January. Ms. Gaston holds a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, an Education Specialist Instruction Credential, and recently received a preliminary Administrative Services Credential. Prior to her employment with the District, Ms. Gaston was employed by San Diego Unified School District since 2016, where she served as an Education Specialist, Classroom Teacher, and since 2021, an In-School Resource Teacher, offering Home Hospital & Transition Supports.
- Authorization was granted for the purchase of 10th generation iPads using the Glendale Unified School District’s Piggyback Bid and financing using a Master Lease Agreement with Apple, Inc.
Santee School District started the 1:1 Digital Learning Program in 2013-14 by providing iPad Air devices to teachers, administrative staff, and the 3rd to 5th grade students. This was eventually expanded to include all students from K to 8th grade. In 2019-20, the District embarked on the second cycle of the 1:1 Digital Learning Program. The program expanded further to include students from TK to 8th grade. In 2023-24, the District will be in its third purchasing cycle for our student 1:1 digital learning program. In order to continue providing students with a purposeful academic environment with challenging digital curriculum, staff recommended the replacement of all staff and student iPad devices and school site app caching servers.
- The 2022-23 State Budget included additional funds that school districts can receive to pay for more of the costs associated with providing student transportation services. In order to receive the funds, the District is required to adopt a Student Transportation Plan on or before April 1, 2023 after obtaining input from various educational partners. The Santee School District Home to School Transportation Plan was presented and adopted, with an exception the Non-Service Zones for Chet F. Harritt, Hill Creek and Pepper Drive schools so that they maintain the current services.
- An MOU between the District and Fred Finch Youth & Family Services (FFYFS) was approved for federally funded services related to the Screening to Care Initiative.
The Screening to Care Initiative aims to make available behavioral health interventions for all students in 6th, 7th and 8th grades using a universal screening tool called the Social, Academic, Emotional, Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS). Once the SAEBRS is administered, FFYFS identifies areas of need for all students at the school site level. FFYFS will:
- Provide all school sites with written recommendations on Tier I support for all students.
- Identify students who demonstrated need for Tier 2 small group interventions, complete outreach to each student/caregiver and invite to participate in Tier 2 services.
- Identify students who demonstrated need for Tier 3 treatment services, complete outreach to each student/caregiver and offer connection to care services (time limited care coordination).
- The Board declared May 10, 2023 as Santee School District’s “Day of the Teacher.” Certificated employees, whom we fondly refer to as teachers, provide instruction to students and create a learning environment supported by warmth, empathy, and understanding. Every day our certificated staff uphold the Mission of Santee School District to provide an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people. Therefore, these employees deserve recognition for their dedication, tenacity, and creativity in the delivery of instruction to best meet the needs of all learners.
- The Board declared May 21 - 27, 2023 as Santee School District’s “Classified School Employees Week.” Classified employees serve, assist, and provide support to children and fellow employees of the Santee School District. Every day, classified employees support and uphold the Mission of Santee School District to provide an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people. Therefore, classified employees deserve recognition and public celebration of their caring deeds and contributions.
Board Policies and Bylaws
- First reading for:
- BB 9250 – Renumeration, Reimbursement, and Other Benefits: updated to reflect changes to the number of meetings a Board member may miss during a calendar year.
- BP 6120 – Response to Instruction and Intervention Policy: updated to emphasize the importance of learning and behavioral outcomes and progress monitoring as it relates to response to instruction and intervention (RtI2), reference multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) and the integration of RtI2 into such frameworks, expand the list of individuals that may be included in designing the district's RtI2 system, add the examination of student social-emotional well-being as one of the bases for design, provide more detail regarding strategies and interventions including ten core components of the RtI2 model identified by the California Department of Education, and that RtI2 may be utilized as one component when considering the referral of a student for evaluation for special education or other services.
- BP 6142.5 Environment Education: policy updated to reflect law which required that the state-adopted environmental principles and concepts be integrated into content standards, curriculum frameworks, and textbook criteria. Policy also reflects legislative intent that governing boards undertake specified actions to promote instruction in environmental literacy, including by embedding environmental literacy in the local priorities addressed in the district's local control and accountability plan, collaborating with other agencies to enhance the environmental curriculum, providing professional development in environmental literacy, and ensuring equity in the provision of environment-based learning opportunities.
The next meeting of the Santee School District Board of Education will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in the Educational Resource Center, 9619 Cuyamaca, Santee.
Note: These are not official meeting minutes of the Board of Education but rather a brief recap of the Board’s actions. For official meeting minutes and a complete list of actions taken, visit bit.ly/3gejSgf.