State of Our Schools
City of San Pablo
West Contra Costa Unified School District
Kenneth C. Hurst, Sr., Ed.D
Superintendent
Education Services
School Performance Review (CA School Dashboard-2023)
BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS. 2
Chronic
Absenteeism
Suspension Rate English Learner
Progress
English
Language Arts
Mathematics
Bayview
Dover Major Progress
Lake
Riverside
Helms Major Progress
Richmond High
Education Services
School Performance Review (CA School Dashboard-2022)
BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS. 3
Chronic
Absenteeism
Suspension
Rate
English
Learner
Progress
English
Language Arts
Mathematics
Bayview Very High High Very Low Very Low Very Low
Dover Very High Very Low Medium Very Low Very Low
Lake Very High Medium Medium Very Low Very Low
Riverside Very High Very Low Low Low Low
Helms Very High High Low Very Low Very Low
Richmond High No Performance Low Very Low Very Low Very Low
Education Services
Programs for Academic Support & Enrichment
BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS. 4
Key Instructional Initiatives to Support
Academic Growth
● Elementary: Early Learning, Expansion of TK ,
Expansion of Tier 2 Intervention Strategies
● Secondary: Student Discourse - Scaffolding Student Talk to Support Understanding
● Special Education: Expansion of Inclusion programs,
Lindamood Bell focus on literacy and math skills
● DLI (Dual Language Immersion) and Expansion of
Newcomer Programs
● Coaching Models & Community Of Practice to support
ELA, Math and SEL
● STEM Focused Programming
● College & Career Pathways
● VAPA incorporation into Core and Afterschool
programming
Additional Support and
Enrichment Programs
● Community Gardens
● Expansion of After school programs and summer
programming
● Sports at Middle Schools, Competitive Sports at
Comprehensive High Schools
● Clubs and student leadership programs
● Mafanikio Now! Academic Mentoring to support
AA students at seven elementary schools
● Mission Critical 7 Literacy Initiative at seven
elementary schools
Education Services
Literacy Task Force
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The WCCUSD Literacy Task Force has been formed by the superintendent to examine:
● Current, scholarly, research about literacy; practices that develop high level literacy skills; and, ● District data, in order to develop a literacy framework and recommendations for WCCUSD that can guide our LCAP and SPSAs, ultimately for improving the learning experience and outcomes for our students. ● Our Charge
○ Provide Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for students with disabilities from infant to 22 years of age.
○ Ensure students are educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE) with access to the curriculum.
Special Education
Toward Equity & Inclusion
6BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS.
● Focus on Inclusion
○ Our focus as a department is on developing systems that allow for inclusion for all students as full members of the school community regardless of disability ○ Examples - Learning Centers, Push-in Instruction, Small-Group Pull-Out, Paraprofessional Support, Mainstreaming, Related Services, Professional Development ● Evolution of Inclusion
Special Education
7BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS.
Toward Equity & Inclusion
● Attendance - Chronic Absenteeism
○ Auto-generated letters of notice to guardians after 3, 6, 9 days of unexcused absences ○ Student Attendance Review Team (SART) - site level meetings to support students and their families in addressing chronic absenteeism and to return to regular attendance ○ School Attendance Review Board (SARB) - district level board that reviews chronic absenteeism with families, engages community service providers, gathers root cause data to support students and their families in returning to regular attendance
● Root Cause Analysis
○ Data collected at SART and SARB meetings
○ Reviewed for trends
○ Cross sector interventions developed based on data analysis Student Services
Chronic Absenteeism
8BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS.
In San Pablo, 1,119 students are chronically absent.
● The primary reason for student unexcused absences have been due to a combination of students working, and/or caring for self and siblings.
● Their parents' income does not cover basic household needs so they have to work and care for siblings.
● Most are in single-parent households or have financial instability and they need to meet basic family needs, including childcare. ● There are high living costs, limited job opportunities for families, and the income is insufficient to support childcare and household expenses.
● Due to economic disparities, families are not able to work and pay for childcare. This leaves students to take on additional responsibilities, including jobs, that will support their family, and puts siblings in the position of caring for their siblings, which in turn leads to lowered school attendance.
Student Services
Chronic Absenteeism - San Pablo
Economic Disparities and Family Responsibilities:
● Economic disparities force families into situations where parents are unable to work and afford childcare. This compels students to take on additional responsibilities, such as jobs, and puts siblings in caregiving roles, leading t lowered school attendance.
Transportation Challenges and Limited Supervision:
● The combination of transportation challenges and limited parental supervision results in decreased student engagement. Feeling unsupported in attending school regularly, students may fall into a cycle of absenteeism.
Lack of Student Empowerment and Collaboration:
● Students have not been empowered to be part of the process of defining consequences and incentives, leading to a lack of ownership in creating a motivating environment. This contributes to a disconnect between students' perceptions of the importance of school and their future opportunities, reinforcing absenteeism. Furthermore, there is a need to establish clear incentives for regular attendance and consequences for cutting class, with clear communication, and support.
There is limited resources and human capacity, hindering the effective monitoring of students and families.
Tailored planning with assigned support to address chronic absenteeism is impeded by these limitations, preventing the implementation of targeted interventions to reduce absenteeism effectively.
Student Services
Summary
● Planned Student Focus groups at sites to further understand student perception related to absences ○ Student-led leadership program
○ Peer-to-peer mentorship
● New contract with community based organization to support targeted students and families ○ Counseling, parent education, home-to-school connection ● SARB emergency response fund, in partnership with Ed Fund ● Continue focus on Tier 1 supports and campaigns on all sites ○ Incentives
○ Reinforcements
○ Focus on improvement rather than perfection
● Deeper work with school community outreach workers and community school directors through targeted learning community
● Continued work with Community Schools Support collaborative (inclusive of all City Mayors and staff) to implement district-wide strategies with identified resources from cities ● State advocacy
Student Services
Action Steps
● The Issue: A Structural Spending Deficit
○ Operating Expenditures in the unrestricted general fund exceeds the unrestricted revenue allocated to our District
● Our Response: A Fiscal Solvency Plan
○ WCCUSD has identified reductions to address the structural deficit in the 2024-25 school year ○ Reductions were identified collaboratively with input from staff, labor unions, community and district leadership
○ Our School Board approved the reductions for action at the January 24, 2024 School Board Meeting ● Moving Forward: Implementing Reductions While Maintaining Quality Programming ○ District leadership will implement the Fiscal Solvency Plan in 2024-25 school year collaboratively while analyzing program needs
Business Services
WCCUSD Fiscal Solvency
12BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS.
● The Issue: A Decline in Average Daily Attendance (ADA) in our Schools ○ Pre-Pandemic WCCUSD averaged 95% ADA, Post-Pandemic we are averaging 88% ADA ○ The 7% difference amounts to a decrease of approximately $20 million dollars in revenue for our schools
● Our Response: Attendance Campaigns & Use of Grant Resources ○ School and District Staff have launched campaigns to address the challenges with attendance ○ Schools and Central Staff are aligning Grant Resources, such as Title I, California Community Schools Grant, and Educator Effectiveness Grants to provide programming support to schools ● Moving Forward: Address Attendance Challenges & Align School Grant Resources
○ Move toward systems alignment of resources to ensure that all schools have viable funding sources to supplement school programming
Business Services
Funding Our Schools: Opportunities, Resources & Alignment 13BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS.
Facilities, Maintenance & Operations
Lake Rebuild
14BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS.
● This project is under
construction
○ Phase 1: will be ready
for the school to move
in this summer
○ Full project completion
is planned for the Fall of
2025
● Project Website:
https://www.wccusd.net/Page/
15892
Facilities, Maintenance & Operations
Richmond & Kennedy High Modernization
15BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS.
The Board approved the Modernization Projects at Kennedy and Richmond High Schools and Stege Elementary School on Nov. 8th
Get Involved!
Kennedy Richmond
Design
Character
Survey:
Open until 3/27
English
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G5XVK
RN
Spanish
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZP7DPYF
English
https://qr.codes/eCZ83Q
Spanish
https://qr.codes/Z425eX
Community
Meeting:
Kennedy High Cafeteria
April 23th @ 6:00pm
Richmond High Mall
April 25th @ 6:00pm
Project
Website:
https://www.wccusd.net/Pag
e/16136
https://www.wccusd.net/
Page/16144
Facilities, Maintenance & Operations
How can you help?
16BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS.
We are looking for a Business partner and citizens
to join our Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee
(CBOC). The CBOC is charged with oversight for
school construction using funding from the current
WCCUSD bond measures. To learn more about
the role of the CBOC and responsibility of its
members, please visit the
committee website. To
apply, prospective members must complete an
application and submit supporting documents.
Appointments to the CBOC are made by the Board
of Education.
● Comprised of IT Operations & Network, Systems, Data, & Ed Tech teams
● 3-year Technology Plan approved by the WCCUSD Board in September 2023 to guide our work
● Equitable Access to 24/7 learning for all students - 1:1 Chromebooks; indoor, outdoor, at home connectivity
● Leveraging technology for engaging teaching & learning ● Focus on student & family digital literacy and positive technology use
● Strengthening our Cybersecurity profile to protect student data Information Technology
17BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS.
From 2023 to 2024, we have increased our contactability rate to 99%, which means at least one student contact (parents, relatives) receives District and school communications. This feeds into our Communications goal to strengthen school-to-home communications and support community-wide understanding of the district.
Communications
Parent Square
18BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS.
In tandem with the strategic plan and new district branding, we are in the process of redesigning our District and school websites. This redesign is powered by community feedback from surveys and town halls. The community shared their desire to have consistent and relevant websites to stay informed of school and District events, and how they can get involved. The new websites will launch in the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.
Communications
District Website Redesign
19BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS.
● Increase employee recruitment and
retention
● Provide a positive onboarding
experience
● Develop collaborative relationships
with labor unions
● Expand community, Industry and
College/University partnerships
● Design a “Grow our Own”
campaign
Human Resources
Goals
20BRAVE MINDS. BOLD LEADERS. BIG DREAMS.
Estimated Number of Vacant Positions
Elementary Teachers 19
Secondary Teachers 20
Special Education Teachers 18
Paraprofessionals 201
Classified Positions 111
Available Positions
● Teachers
○ Elementary
○ Secondary
○ Special Education
● Counselors
● Substitute Teachers
● Administrators
● Paraprofessionals
● Clerical Staff
● Food Services
● Maintenance and Operations
● Safety & Security
● Classified Substitutes
● LVN/RN
Brave Minds. Bold Leaders. Big Dreams. 21
West Contra Costa Unified
School District
Thank You!
wccusd.net
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