Novato Unified School District Seeking Members For '7-11 Committee'

Novato CA

18 December, 2020

10:17 AM

Description

Press release from the Novato Unified School District: December 17, 2020 En español Dear NUSD Community, Over the past year, the Novato Unified School District Board of Trustees, district leadership team, and staff have undergone a detailed and holistic review of the district's budget in order to assess and remedy our current financial challenges as we face dramatic declining enrollment and subsequent declining revenues. This important work aligns each of our district goals, but specifically our goal of fiscal responsibility. Our long-term financial stability is essential so that we are capable of delivering on our educational promise to NUSD students. In NUSD, similar to all districts in California, one of our major asset categories is real property which includes land and school facilities. It is our fiduciary responsibility to maximize these assets, ensuring they are utilized efficiently and effectively so we can continue to provide exceptional learning opportunities for all students. Given our current budget shortfall, we have reviewed and analyzed our assets to determine if opportunities exist to maximize their usage given our current financial situation. After reviewing financial and enrollment data, it is clear that we need to examine the possibility of closing and/or restructuring schools as we aim to reduce annual operational costs. In past years, we have facilitated preliminary, open discussions in the community around this topic, and it is time to prioritize this work, and form a committee to delve deeper into this issue. This committee will work collaboratively and proactively to understand the overall impact of small schools on the district's budget and examine potential solutions. We Need You! We are looking for thoughtful, capable, and committed community members to serve on what is referred to as a "7-11 Committee." We expect the committee to be in place by February 1, 2021 and to complete its work by May 26, 2021. This committee will make a formal recommendation to the Board of Trustees around small school closures/restructuring and possible uses for the property if any schools are closed. We are committed to both inclusion and transparency in this process and to that end, the committee's proceedings and deliberations will be open to the public and all minutes and recordings will be published on our district website. Under California law (Education Code sec. 17389), the Committee must have at least seven (7) members and no more than eleven (11) members and contain persons who can be representative of each of the following: The ethnic, age group, and socioeconomic composition of the district; The business community, such as store owners, managers, or supervisors; Landowners or renters, with preference to be given to representatives of neighborhood associations; Teachers; Administrators; Parents of students; Persons with expertise in environmental impact, legal contracts, building codes, and land use planning, including, but not limited to, knowledge of the zoning and other land use restrictions of the cities or cities and counties in which surplus space and real property is located. California law also designates the specific duties of a 7-11 Committee (Education Code § 17390) as follows: Review the projected school enrollment and other data as provided by the district to determine the amount of surplus space and real property; Establish a priority list of use of surplus space and real property that will be acceptable to the community; Cause to have circulated throughout the attendance area a priority list of surplus space and real property and provide for hearings of community input to the Committee on acceptable uses of space and real property, including the sale or lease of surplus real property for child care development purposes pursuant to Education Code § 17458; Make a final determination of limits of tolerance of use of space and real property; Forward to the Board of Trustees a report recommending uses of surplus space and real property. Please also see information on Conflict of Interest Law in English and Spanish on our website. Committee Timeline Members of the Committee serve only on a voluntary basis. Below is our anticipated, tentative committee timeline. All committee meetings will be from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM via a Zoom Meeting or in the Board Room of the School District Office, 1015 Seventh Street, Novato, CA 94945: January 7, 2021 – Application submittal deadline January 22, 2021 – Selected committee member notification for Board of Trustees approval on January 26 January 26, 2021 – Regular Board of Trustees meeting for committee approval February 3, 2021 – First meeting of the 7-11 District Advisory Committee (organizational meeting) February 24, 2021 – Second meeting of the 7-11 District Advisory Committee March 10, 2021 – Third meeting of the 7-11 District Advisory Committee March 24, 2021 – Fourth meeting of the 7-11 District Advisory Committee April 14, 2021 – Fifth meeting of the 7-11 District Advisory Committee April 28, 2021 – Sixth meeting of the 7-11 District Advisory Committee May 5, 2021 – Final (Optional) meeting of the 7-11 District Advisory Committee May 26, 2021 – Report presented to the Board of Education Committee Member Application If you would like to be considered to serve on the NUSD 7-11 District Advisory Committee, please complete the application online or download a printable copy and return it to the Novato Unified School District, ATTN: Superintendent's Office, 1015 7th Street, Novato, CA 94945. The online and downloadable application in both English and Spanish may be found at nusd.org/711. The deadline to apply is 4:30 PM on Thursday, January 7, 2021. Any questions regarding the 7-11 District Advisory Committee application and/or process should be emailed to [email protected] or you can call the Superintendent's Office at (415) 493-4211. Please note that the District Office will be closed during the winter break. Staff will respond to all 7-11 Committee questions in the order they were received on Monday, January 4, 2021 when we return. In Closing As your superintendent, I am continually impressed by the passion and dedication I see every day in our NUSD community and I ask for both your engagement and participation as we embark on this challenging work ahead. Through open conversations grounded in a commitment to our district's vision and strategic goals, we are confident our students will continue to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically as we navigate these complex issues. Best Regards, Kris Cosca, Ed.D. Superintendent nusd.org/711 This press release was produced by the Novato Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author's own.