NOTICE OF REGULAR BOARD MEETING VIA TELECONFERENCE

As authorized by Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-29-20, dated March 17, 2020, the Alvord Unified School District will conduct all meetings of the Governing Board via teleconference until further notice. The meetings will be conducted via Zoom: Click Here. Spanish simultaneous interpretation is available via the Zoom platform. All meetings may also be viewed live on our district YouTube channel on the day of the meeting and are recorded to be viewed subsequently after the meeting: Click Here

Pursuant to Executive Order N-29-20, the Governing Board will take public comment. All public comments must be submitted in writing in advance of the meeting. Please submit your written public comments to: 2Superintendent@alvordschools.org no later than 9:00 a.m. on March 4, 2021.

During the Governing Board meeting, written public comments received in a timely manner will be read for the Governing Board.  Pursuant to Board Bylaw 9323, public comment period will be limited to twenty (20) minutes.  Duplicative public comments will not be read during the meeting.  However, all written public comments will be provided to the Governing Board in advance of the meeting.

Student of the Month: Collett Elementary School is proud to recognize Samantha Perez as the Alvord Unified School District Student of the Month for March 2021.

Certificated Employee of the Month: Collett Elementary School is proud to recognize Sydney Quick as the Alvord Unified School District Certificated Employee of the Month for March 2021.

Classified Employee of the Month: Collett Elementary School is proud to recognize Rebecca Davenport as the Alvord Unified School District Classified Employee of the Month for March 2021.

Volunteer of the Month: Collett Elementary School is proud to recognize Suzanne Guidero as the Alvord Unified School District Volunteer of the Month for March 2021.

Board ratification is requested for Purchase Order List Number 12 for the period of 01/23/2021 – 02/12/2021

Number of District Purchase Orders submitted is: 123

RATIONALE:
#B1006579 - #B1006584
#P2057292 - #P2057409

FISCAL IMPACT:  $186,136.68 (various funds)

The District’s Report of Receipts reflects monies received, which includes deposits for donations, reimbursements, refunds, salary abatements, retiree health and welfare contributions, and grant funds received.  

These funds when received, are applied to the appropriate financial accounts. They deposited into the District’s Cash Clearing Bank Account and a check is written to the Riverside County Office of Education for deposit to the Galaxy Financial System.  A sequential number is assigned to each receipt and once the checks have cleared through the bank account, the items are posted to the financial accounts.

The enclosed financial report is the monthly update of the District’s Report of Receipts for January 1, 2021 thru January 31, 2021.

FISCAL IMPACT: As reported in body of memo

Under this agreement, Bennett Motivational Services, LLC will present “Creating a College Thinking Culture” workshop to our 3^rd – 8^th grade African American families district wide.  Due to conflict in scheduling, the presenter was only available on January 21, 2021.  Therefore, this agreement is being moved as a ratification from the original date of February 25, 2021.

FISCAL IMPACT: $500.00 (LCFF-LI Funds)

The District contracted with Rosetta Stone Ltd. at the beginning of 2020/2021 for online access to supplement English language lessons for our English learner students. Due to a high demand additional licenses are needed. Attached is the quote for 30 additional licenses for English learner students.

English Language Support Services offers this online language software to students emerging in English fluency.  This resource supports school curriculum and programs for English Language Development (ELD).

Board approval of this agreement will allow Rosetta Stone Ltd., to integrate technology in the classroom and give students access to online resources for building English language proficiency.

The District contracted with Rosetta Stone Ltd. at the beginning of 2020/2021 for online access to supplemental English language development lessons that help familiarize immigrant students with language and culture. Due to high demand additional licenses are needed.  Attached is the quote for 50 additional licenses for immigrant students.

English Language Support Services offers this online language software to students new to the country and/or emerging in English fluency.  This resource supports school curriculum and programs for English Language Development (ELD).

Board approval of this agreement will allow Rosetta Stone Ltd., to integrate technology in the classroom and give students access to online resources for building English language proficiency.

Board approval is requested for the addition of the following high school course to start in the 2021-2022 academic school year at La Sierra High School:  

• AP Computer Science Principles

Trustee, Mrs. Julie Moreno, Board Clerk, will report on any actions taken by the Board following consideration in Closed Session.

CSBA is conducting the 2021 CSBA Delegate Assembly Election. The Board may vote for up to six candidates. A copy of the official ballot and biographical sketches for the following candidates are attached for your consideration. 

Delegates will serve two-year terms beginning April 1, 2021 - March 31, 2023

*denotes incumbent

• Robert Garcia (Jurupa USD)*
• Madonna M. Gerrell (Palm Springs USD)*
• Sandy Hinkson (Temecula Valley USD) 
• Gerard Reller (Romoland ESD)*
• David Sanchez          (Beaumont USD)
• Jason Smith (Banning USD)
• Kris Thomasian (Murrieta Valley USD)*

District staff recommends that the Board of Education take the following action in regard to the bids for the La Sierra High School Culinary Arts Project (“Project”), reject, as not responsive to the bid requirements, the bids from Hamel Contracting, Inc. (“Hamel”) and JRH Construction Company, Inc. (“JRH”), because they each proposed to use certain subcontractors that were not prequalified in accordance with statutory and bid requirements.

The District received six bids for the Project, as shown in the following table:

On November 5, 2020, the Governing Board (the “Board”) of the Alvord Unified School District (the “District”) adopted a resolution (the “Prior Resolution”) approving the issuance of tax and revenue anticipation notes (the “TRANs”) to fund a projected cash flow shortfall during fiscal year 2020-21 created by timing differences between its anticipated expenditures and estimated receipt of revenues, including deferred State funding, and participation in the Riverside County Office of Education Pooled Cross Fiscal Year 2020-21 Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes Program (the “Program”).  The Prior Resolution authorized the issuance of the TRANs in a principal amount not-to-exceed $36,500,000.

The District has now determined that the maximum authorized amount of TRANs needs to be increased.  Resolution No. 37 would amend the Prior Resolution to increase the not-to-exceed borrowing amount to $46,500,000. 

FISCAL IMPACT:

Currently, it is expected that, the District will pledge a portion of the revenues expected to be received in or accrued to the District’s 2020-21 fiscal year to the repayment of the TRAN.  However, the TRAN will be a general obligation of the District payable from its General Fund, and to the extent pledged revenues are not available, the TRAN will be paid from other legally available moneys of the District.  The District will not have any obligation to pay the TRANs of the other districts participating in the Program, and the District will not be liable for the failure of any other district participating in the Program to pay its own TRAN.

The Board of Trustees of each school district is required, per Education Code Section 41020(b), to provide for an annual audit or arrange with the Riverside County Superintendent of Schools to provide for the annual audit.  Districts electing to make their own audit arrangements must do so no later than the first day in April of each fiscal year. 

The Business Services Department recommends the approval of an audit contract with Eide Bailly, LLP, Certified Public Accounts, for a three-year period of 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23.

FISCAL IMPACT:

  June 30, 2021 Audit NTE $40,000

  June 30, 2022 Audit   NTE $40,500

June 30, 2023 Audit   NTE $41,000

Board certification of the district's 2020-21 Second Interim Financial Report as “Positive”, as indicated on the attached Form CI – District Certification of Interim Report. 

A positive certification is an indication the district “will meet its financial obligations for the current year and two subsequent two fiscal years.”  

In accordance with California Education Code, the governing board of all local educational agencies are required to certify at least twice a year to the district’s ability to meet its financial obligations for the remainder of the current fiscal year and for the two subsequent fiscal years.  This is referred to as the Interim Report process.

The 2020/21 Second Interim report is being certified as positive, certifying the board's intention to address any deficit spending and projected financial obligations in future years.

Dusty Nevatt will present the Second Interim Financial Report as it reflects the District’s actual financial activity for the period July 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021, and contains updated projections for the current and two subsequent fiscal years. 

FISCAL IMPACT:  None

The addition of these positions will allow the district to hire teachers to target the learning loss of students.  Board approval will allow the District to hire positions for the following:

• Seven Intervention Teachers. Four at the middle school level and three at the high school level;
• Three Elementary Literacy Teachers for the elementary sites that currently do not have this position
• Fourteen Elementary Numeracy Teachers with each elementary site having one Elementary Numeracy Teacher

FISCAL IMPACT:  $2,913,600.00 (CARES Act Funding)

The District currently has a vacant 0.2 Speech/Language Pathologist (SLP) position.  A recent review of caseloads has determined the need to increase this 0.2 position to a full time employee (FTE) position.  Speech/Language Pathologists have been added in recent years; however, the caseloads are still over and a violation of the certificated collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The Special Education Department has collaborated with the Speech Team to review and exit students that have met their goals or no longer receive educational benefit from services.  The department will continue this process to ensure the district is serving students that meet the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) criteria.

In order to be in compliance with the bargaining agreement, the district will need to hire an additional SLP.  

The addition of 0.8 Speech/Language Pathologist position to create a full-time position will allow the district to bring the current student caseloads down and improve speech/language services to students with disabilities.

FISCAL IMPACT: $80,056.00 (General Fund/Restricted – Special Education)

The Variable Term Waiver (VTM) is a document issued for employers who meet the waiver criteria when a fully credentialed employee is not available for the assignment.  It allows the employer to fill the assignment while searching for a fully credentialed person in the subject area of the assignment and gives the waiver holder additional time to complete the requirements.  

2021 Board Meeting Dates ~ Open Session 6:00 p.m.

March 18, 2021

April 15, 2021

May 6 and 20, 2021

June 3 and 17, 2021

July 15, 2021

August 19, 2021

September 2 and 16, 2021

October 7 and 21, 2021

November 4 and 18, 2021

December 16, 2021