[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6395059,"mediaKeyId","2101685-416b19bfe1d04e4cd10ee92c10acb345","parentId",2101685,"title","At a glance: Santa Rosa board approves expulsions, Holocaust resolution and committee changes; tables lock design work","audioSeconds",45,"startMs",1905000,"endMs",1950000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101685-416b19bfe1d04e4cd10ee92c10acb345&start=1905&end=1950","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101685-416b19bfe1d04e4cd10ee92c10acb345/thumbnail_1905000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6395059/California/At-a-glance-Santa-Rosa-board-approves-expulsions-Holocaust-resolution-and-committee-changes-tables-lock-design-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395059-ffee92ed5bbf68d3a2dfb1c6c75f63c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770643190&Signature=huahm07wzEkrxpSPW48wE5a3CK6C1lQaqQJA8TiEBdjPdMlSX9cRY4qCdXJCpkHDTyLifsRd1u1JNzuQo7SSmR-3ur4i2JRYs8d6jXaLCjthYA9QS4XHxbV592UekLY9Wwt9T4XFLmZ4QX2DRDSeq762mGZWe9aVf~kPHsZQzGsqqEuC8foztukp8SJipMnJ2Bu26jrxowzIB6EuclHXdhlSpNoRZvMDb7crmyYFwiQ6sOM5tZssGlOEFieJWAYKANW-QJCJ-fQTzG0fHe7kTTBP~Tj~-600Xcn7~sHp-9CQYlC6owiHTXDkZfSkPcAgj-~z57zalaYbtPCt2uwQkg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Santa Rosa City Schools","date","2025-01-11T00:54:51.277Z","article","The Santa Rosa City School Board took several formal actions during its Jan. 8 meeting, including votes on disciplinary cases, a ceremonial resolution and internal committee structure. Key outcomes:

Student discipline
- Approved: Student expulsion case number 202425-15. Motion by Trustee Damien De La Torre; seconded by Trustee Rusty Medina. Roll-call votes recorded: Trustee De La Torre — Aye; Trustee Medina — Aye; Trustee McNally (board president) — Aye; Trustee Manieri — Aye; Trustee Casten — Aye; Trustee Jenkins — Aye; Trustee Kirby — Aye. The motion passed.
- Approved earlier in the meeting: Student readmission case 202324-1 (reported by staff as approved in the Report of Actions Taken in Closed Session; no separate roll call in open session transcript excerpt).

Resolution
- Approved unanimously: Resolution recognizing Jan. 27, 2025, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Motion moved by Vice President Manieri and seconded by Trustee Medina. Roll call: Student Board Member Zuniga — Aye; Trustee Manieri — Aye; Trustee Medina — Aye; Trustee Casten — Aye; Trustee Kirby — Aye; Trustee Jenkins — Aye; Trustee De La Torre — Aye; President McNally — Aye.

Board structure and committees
- Approved unanimously: Establishment of a standing Fiscal Analysis board committee and a one-year ad hoc Board Policy Update committee (motion passed; trustees will be assigned to committees at a later step).

Consent and other votes
- Tabled to next meeting: Agreement to proceed with design work for electronic locking systems (Consent item G-8). Vote to table passed 6–1 (Trustee Kirby voted No; other trustees voting Aye included Medina, Magnieri, Casten, Jenkins, De La Torre, President McNally). District staff said the item covered design fees only and that the matter will return for further discussion.
- Several consent items were approved as presented (items G-4, G-7 and G-10 through G-12 were approved by roll call earlier in the meeting).

Ending

Several actions require follow-up by staff, including drafting committee charge language and returning committee appointments, posting materials for upcoming town halls and bringing the electronic-lock item back at the next meeting. The board’s calendar shows a public hearing and potential action on consolidation recommendations scheduled in February.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","SRCS Regular Board Meeting - January 8, 2024","oneSentenceSummary","At its Jan. 8 meeting the Santa Rosa City School Board approved a student expulsion, adopted a resolution recognizing International Holocaust Remembrance Day, established a standing fiscal committee and a one-year ad hoc policy committee, and tabled a contract for electronic-lock design to the next meeting.","taxTitle","Santa Rosa Elementary, School Districts, California","taxId",49324,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6395064,"Santa Rosa board outlines town-hall timeline for school consolidation; hundreds testify to save high schools including Pioneer",1421,6079000,7500000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101685-416b19bfe1d04e4cd10ee92c10acb345&start=6079&end=7500","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101685-416b19bfe1d04e4cd10ee92c10acb345/thumbnail_6079000.jpg","/articles/6395064/California/Santa-Rosa-board-outlines-town-hall-timeline-for-school-consolidation-hundreds-testify-to-save-high-schools-including-Pioneer","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395064-cd70c9bf15fd4b6ffd9a41caaa584a1e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770643190&Signature=mRDXsdjihX50f5rcH670A0Hbjx8JBfy5~2aD6ZV2FhjkCzz6qUBor6xjp6XDX7aR0JBbEZEQroyu6bwn5bDZDawOA-yHwOym~0iUYpislCQQZfCgtO0CG0x8-VQV6Q8LUXFcI-8qF2Ju5on1zUWkBbvg12KqEh20lyVH-Lgrfv3mnuaxGfQLyejKpuO2g44X3TRL8e19wyVt8UhREuxKsxGs3cSHOgQiZhui1ME07enpAGa8rFcK38eA1KIUYe4B5kPt-ToENronSjXNMlSM5NLjY5e50JGvcAbKKyU61R4hucuqzSP1rjpR4TVCljBU-RjOq~ZBZsyJEj0F69UcOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Santa Rosa City School Board and its School Consolidation and Closure Advisory Committee (SCAC) moved forward with a public engagement schedule Jan. 8 while receiving sustained public comment from students, staff and community members urging the board not to close neighborhood high schools.

Superintendent Dr. Mina Morales and SCAC lead Lisa August briefed the board on a series of “town hall dialogues” set across several days in late January and a SCAC workshop scheduled for Jan. 27 to draft recommendations. The timeline presented calls for a possible additional SCAC meeting Feb. 3, a special board presentation and public hearing on Feb. 5, and an action meeting scheduled for Feb. 19.

The administration said the town halls will use gallery-walk stations and “dot” exercises to solicit community input on scenario options already collected by the committee. August said SCAC members will be asked to rank schools under multiple scenarios to ensure the committee can respond to different possibilities the board may consider.

Hundreds of speakers — including alumni, teachers, counselors, parents and students — testified during the public-comment periods. A large contingent of students and alumni from Pioneer High School urged the board to preserve the campus, citing unique programs including the Early College Magnet (ECM), STEM certificate programs, a campus planetarium/observatory and the GRACE credit-recovery program. Pioneer students and staff described ECM as a pathway that lets students take college classes free of charge and win college credits that can accelerate graduation.

Several speakers described personal stories tied to LC Allen, Santa Rosa High, Maria Carrillo and other sites; representatives from alumni groups, teachers and counseling staff emphasized the community, extracurricular and college-access programs that would be lost with closures. Pioneer counselor Sydney Miller highlighted “Freshman First Day,” a team-building program the school runs to acclimate incoming 9th graders.

Committee members and district staff said they will prepare pre-scripted communications and aim to deliver transfer and placement information rapidly after board action so families know options and timelines. Staff said they are prepared to shorten some usual notification windows — citing a goal of communicating transfer/placement information within weeks rather than months after a board decision.

Board members reiterated the need for community engagement in the town halls and said trustees will attend selected events, noting Brown Act limits on trustee attendance (no more than three trustees may attend a single town hall to avoid forming a quorum). Trustees asked for clearer public timelines and for the district to post town-hall dates and materials to the district website; staff said the site and ParentSquare notifications would be updated.

Ending

The consolidation process will proceed under the SCAC timeline, with town halls in late January, SCAC recommendation drafting Jan. 27, potential finalization Feb. 3 and board action Feb. 19. Officials promised expedited communications following any board action; community speakers said the schedule underscores an urgent need for clear, accessible information and argued for alternatives to school closures that preserve unique campus programs.","The board and its School Consolidation and Closure Advisory Committee scheduled town-hall dialogues in January and a series of meetings culminating in a February 19 board action. Dozens of students, staff and parents testified against proposed closures and urged alternatives to closing Pioneer High School and other campuses.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6395069,"External review finds Santa Rosa special-education system fragmented; recommends districtwide strategic plan and student-study-team overhaul",8651,6099000,14750000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101685-416b19bfe1d04e4cd10ee92c10acb345&start=6099&end=14750","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101685-416b19bfe1d04e4cd10ee92c10acb345/thumbnail_6099000.jpg","/articles/6395069/California/External-review-finds-Santa-Rosa-special-education-system-fragmented-recommends-districtwide-strategic-plan-and-student-study-team-overhaul","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395069-023065e1b357fda05a7ef2773ed04aaa/orig.mp4?Expires=1770643190&Signature=GWsaPFPXLI1Ltjs3rizXzeju4fHM0eBCyzglJDSQAmv0LGPG~g0k5v0tfcIQcobB62jvQypOdAMAGUP77hac1gZtbXi3SKjOqmtSuk2THrF-FT8~nax92ITS-zJC8vudJAjfCYlsM1afkb8~wrQmLLkd4idfQ~VENj9LIZ9cGpPCyMlWyyZKiiINkzAMS56qn5V815PrA51M-2b9qBx62OEhupGOFcwkFc-JquiCSk1wx6JImrwXsOQnKVNJGZH4I0AbbGlaL18XLiYPyZXCIemYdSZM6s8yFdRTH6oQm5fTT9ZWDrZsRc5kRCQy5MUreQSK9fNhEAfPnsi2w4mVBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","An external review presented Jan. 8 to the Santa Rosa City School Board concluded the district’s special-education delivery lacks consistent policies and systems and recommended a multi-year roadmap to bring programs into alignment.

Consultant Dr. William Gillespie, who the district contracted to perform the review, told the board that interviews with teachers, classified staff, related-services clinicians and administrators showed “passionate and hardworking” staff but an absence of uniform procedures and a clear, districtwide model. Gillespie said the lack of coordinated student-study-team processes and tiered interventions contributes to higher-than-expected identification rates and costly out-of-district placements.

The report calls for a district-led special-education strategic plan with measurable goals, a board-adopted vision and updated policies, a consistent student-study-team (SST) process at every school, defined eligibility and exit criteria for related services, and stronger alignment between general and special education. Gillespie said the change should be led by the superintendent and monitored back to the board.

The consultant and district staff flagged several fiscal pressures tied to the current structure: transportation for special-education students, contracted nonpublic school placements, extended-school-year costs and variable caseloads for speech-language pathologists and school psychologists. The review estimated long-term savings if the district reduces overidentification and returns students from nonpublic placements, and it set out more than 100 recommendations for immediate and phased actions.

District leaders described immediate next steps the board can take. John Fisher (Director of Special Education) said the district plans to form a stakeholder task force, draft a procedural manual that standardizes timelines and responsibilities for referrals and eligibility decisions, and develop an implementation timeline that staff will bring back to the board. Superintendent Dr. Mina Morales said she expects an early planning phase this year and a multi-year implementation schedule thereafter.

Public commenters during the meeting included special-education assistants, teachers and parents who urged faster action and clearer communications. Karen Wagner, a district special-education assistant for 21 years, said turnover among contracted assistants hurts student consistency. Teacher Margaret Boone urged investment in tiered interventions and cautioned that cuts to general-education intervention staff would worsen special-education demands.

Board members asked for specific, timebound deliverables. Trustee Rusty Medina asked about litigation costs and whether stronger procedures would reduce legal exposure; staff said recent settlements and legal costs were modest for this year but stressed prevention through better systems. Trustee Sarah Jenkins and others pressed for a public task-force timeline and metrics the board could track every six months.

District officials said they will begin assembling the task force this year, prioritize drafting a procedural manual and return to the board with an action plan and timeline. Gillespie emphasized the work will take multiple years and that success will require board-level direction, superintendent leadership and cooperation with bargaining units.

The presentation prompted no immediate board vote. Several trustees said they support a standing commitment to track implementation and requested the first status report within months.

Ending

The review frames special education as a districtwide responsibility rather than a separate “bolt-on” system. The board agreed on the need for a concrete action plan and set expectations that staff will present a strategic plan and a procedural manual with timelines and measurable outcomes for board review.","An outside review commissioned by Santa Rosa City Schools identified inconsistent procedures, high special-education placement rates and fragmented services, and recommended a 3–5 year strategic plan to develop districtwide policies, standardized student-study-team processes and targeted steps to reduce costly out-of-district placements.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

At a glance: Santa Rosa board approves expulsions, Holocaust resolution and committee changes; tables lock design work

Santa Rosa board outlines town-hall timeline for school consolidation; hundreds testify to save high schools including Pioneer

External review finds Santa Rosa special-education system fragmented; recommends districtwide strategic plan and student-study-team overhaul