I hope you all have been enjoying the warm weather—it’s hard to believe it’s the middle of winter. There’s a lot to cover this month, so let’s dive in.
At our last few board meetings, we’ve been reviewing our latest academic testing results from the California School Dashboard, and the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASP). Our students continue to excel academically, achieving the highest test scores in the county, and above state averages. That said, our teachers and staff are working with them to overcome challenges in particular areas like math, and with subgroups that lag behind our overall averages. Though they have made great progress, our students are still not quite back to pre-pandemic achievement levels. While test scores are only one part of academic achievement, they do help us assess progress and set goals for improvement, and that is at the heart of what our students, teachers and staff strive for: learning and growth.
Last month we also received an update on how our Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) programs serve our students. The purpose of MTSS is to align academic, behavioral and social-emotional supports in order to serve the whole child. It utilizes high-quality evidence-based instruction, intervention and assessment practices to ensure that every student receives the appropriate level of support to be successful, from kindergarten through 12th grade. This program has been evolving over the last nine years, and I’ve been impressed with how well it serves our students’ needs through a holistic, tailored approach.
One of our more recent additions to MTSS has been our Wellness Center, launched two years ago at Scotts Valley High. Our Wellness Center is an invaluable resource that provides emotional support, mental health resources and a sense of belonging for our students. The center provides self-service and structured services on campus and referrals to off-campus resources as well. We launched it with the support of one-time state and federal funding for the first two years. With that funding coming to an end, SVHS Senior Dylan Turzak and the SVHS Parent Club are hosting a Wellness Walk fundraiser on Saturday, March 28. The event kicks off at 10am with a pre-walk rally at SVHS and a walk start time of 10:30. There will be two fully supported routes filled with water and fuel stations and activities. After the walk, return to SVHS for a post-walk wellness festival with yoga demonstrations, speakers, a bounce house and more. Learn more and sign up at svwellnesswalk.com.
Much as we prefer presentations about academics and student supports, most of your Board’s time is focused on ensuring compliance with state laws, and attending to fiscal responsibilities. We are so grateful for the steadfast and ongoing financial support of our schools through the Measure V parcel tax, the Measure O facilities bond and the tireless support of our parent associations at all four schools.
Why do we need this support? Because as of 2024-25, when comparing state per-pupil funding among similar sized districts, SVUSD was the second-lowest-funded unified district in the state. This reality is reflected in our adopted budget for the current school year, in which to achieve a positive multi-year budget projection (required by state law), we committed to making staffing and program reductions for the upcoming 2026-27 school year.
Recently the District was contacted by the County Office of Education regarding substantive concerns with our First Interim Budget Report in December. Since that time, our superintendent and staff have been working diligently to address the identified issues and avoid a qualified certification, which could lead to outside intervention. We also continue to experience an increase in special education costs since the budget adoption, and this is a significant cause of a deeper than expected operating deficit.
Unfortunately, the result of these additional costs may be deeper than expected reductions as well. The final budget update of the current year, the Second Interim Report, is scheduled for presentation to the Board on March 10.
Beyond our community funding efforts, your board and our superintendent are working on efforts to improve our funding on multiple fronts. As I’ve reported previously, SVUSD is now able to bill health insurance companies for on-campus mental health services. Trustee Gary Redenbacher has been working with other agencies to improve mental health services funding for students through future legislation. Superintendent Krause has been working with other superintendents to advocate for more Special Education funding to reduce the burden of residential treatment center placements on school districts. And I continue to advocate for state funding formula reform in Sacramento through the California School Boards Association (CSBA) to provide districts like ours with more Base Grant funding.
Superintendent Krause and I have also been raising awareness through CSBA and other state agencies of how significant delays at the Division of the State Architect (DSA) are holding back our SVHS stadium construction efforts. We’ve gathered evidence that these delays are widespread across the state, costing districts precious time and money. A recent update indicates that the DSA is aware of these challenges, and we should be seeing some relief soon. Hopefully we’ll receive approval this month to move forward at SVHS, but I will continue to update you in this column.
I always like to close these articles on a positive note, so I want to share that your schools are observing Black History Month in February, acknowledging the central role African Americans have played in the fabric of our nation. At all four of our schools, you will see books, historical discussions and representations of African Americans’ many contributions to our country. In March, we will celebrate Different Abilities Month, where students will learn about inclusion, acceptance and the unique strengths each individual brings to our community.
We encourage families to talk with their children about celebrating differences and supporting one another, regardless of race or ability. Together, we can create a school environment where every student feels valued and empowered.
Roger Snyder is the Board President of Scotts Valley Unified School District. He may be contacted at rs*****@*************sd.org.
