[{"_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",6224508,"mediaKeyId","3550368-6a97a27914a19502ffd4aacedfff4b71","parentId",3550368,"title","Board approves purchase of 1247 South Gene Autry Trail for Expanded Learning and storage; closing set for next day","audioSeconds",619,"startMs",6676000,"endMs",7295000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3550368-6a97a27914a19502ffd4aacedfff4b71&start=6676&end=7295","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3550368-6a97a27914a19502ffd4aacedfff4b71/thumbnail_6676000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6224508/California/Board-approves-purchase-of-1247-South-Gene-Autry-Trail-for-Expanded-Learning-and-storage-closing-set-for-next-day","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224508-9c7485efb983b6cc186d1a6c98f07bc9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142597&Signature=IEGC6qb~2qCalPiDcyjJzRHTWuK5diysFxdrQG028oibQ29Q5QqkaGt5dj8zu5C3on-kE1i0dBcnilDQ-FbhtDQOJ~WkKftb87e04f7Uzr056HjOKE8j-eW1sr-u4z2Yk4Ndxj9QpLGeB7v0RRVQtaXEBxtYVStOEfJVqcDC6wWtGZaUoPbuF3E0O5VYtJKsqYfJpfcar07cRFC2IIVe1f7J4jETrDZYGUb1iFdZ-JyOdNMCOjnkZGkKPS1-iVAKNud4SEJErQ2HkBQgIg-iCFULLEa2ZXhZ2dNwdnHsFvjL7pfOjEwu4foOvAgfMGD3q9rZPz3dujEPH4K47y6TMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Palm Springs Unified School District","date","2025-05-28T03:20:28Z","article","The Palm Springs Unified School District board approved a resolution ratifying the final purchase and sale agreement for a district-owned building the district plans to use for Expanded Learning Opportunity Program (ELOP) operations, program materials storage and short-term office space.

Julie Arthur, executive director of facilities and planning, briefed the board on the site identified as 1247 South Gene Autry Trail, which she said includes an approximately 8,288‑square‑foot tilted‑concrete building on a roughly 33,000‑square‑foot parcel with substantial parking and roll-up doors that can support program storage and supply distribution. Arthur said the property sits near the Desert Springs Water District and is already equipped with several systems — notably HVAC units and electrical switch gear from a prior “growth facility” conversion — that reduce the scope of upgrades the district must make.

Negotiated price and improvements: Arthur said the property was initially listed at $2.8 million and the district negotiated the price to $2.4 million. The architect’s initial estimate for tenant improvements is roughly $2.0 million; Arthur said that combination would bring the building-to‑ready total to approximately $4.0 million, with the expectation that ELOP grant funds and redevelopment funds will pay a portion over multiple years. She told the board the facility could be used for storage immediately and that staff plan to finalize a working drawings package, bid the tenant improvements, complete construction, and move in — a process Arthur estimated could take roughly 12 months for full conversion, though parts of the building are immediately usable.

Security and operations: Board members asked about security, loss prevention and storage of materials. Arthur said the building already contains a substantial camera infrastructure from its former use and that the district will deploy additional cameras as needed. Student Services and Expanded Learning staff will determine which materials will be stored at the site; high-value technology and district inventory will continue to be processed through the district warehouse and cannot be left unsecured.

Funding and timeline: Arthur said the district will spend about $2.0 million of ELOP funds this fiscal year on the purchase and initial improvements and expects to use another tranche of ELOP funding next year for additional work. She told the board the district was fortunate that many major systems (HVAC and switch gear) are in good condition, which reduced the work required relative to a new build on district land.

Board action: The board moved, seconded and approved the resolution authorizing the district to close escrow, accept the purchase, and proceed with tenant-improvement planning. Arthur said the district planned to close escrow the day after the meeting and that staff would begin initial site walks, keying and logistics immediately.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","PSUSD Board Meeting 5.27.2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Palm Springs Unified School District board approved purchase of an 8,288‑square‑foot building at 1247 South Gene Autry Trail for Expanded Learning and storage, negotiating a $2.4 million purchase price and planning roughly $2.0 million in tenant improvements funded with ELOP and redevelopment funds.","taxTitle","Palm Springs Unified, School Districts, California","taxId",14368,"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},6224511,"Read With Me volunteers credited with thousands of reading hours in Palm Springs Unified",390,2613000,3003000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3550368-6a97a27914a19502ffd4aacedfff4b71&start=2613&end=3003","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3550368-6a97a27914a19502ffd4aacedfff4b71/thumbnail_2613000.jpg","/articles/6224511/California/Read-With-Me-volunteers-credited-with-thousands-of-reading-hours-in-Palm-Springs-Unified","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224511-b827d24a5b5b6dad84368d84432e9bae/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142597&Signature=fMWlL7y9i7erZR7DZl~z7P0Tohn5PR5vMnq4v1-LNF3QAaLyqQ3H-Ahdxr-gbmNpoxW7OySy3oPPFUy1oSfchov~F3RjWCeS221ROqcTEMs0CL-uWw-MFpXhAiBvg8wPRPjHax273zHcK6CUk~NeNKYCr2qR84p9oVDiAwUmOsanYuiTnbTLBYjSS1ZCbOS1BCAzWQZrTp-y5Ts2y8yxPnXHsq2bd65SdokPIaKyWtG~ikcK2ojpwF2~3SMQvVV2HiQC8jlv0zP5q1Z1YhSQ~2fBu~4hkzeUSMFPw95210rjMvTSRRHhKFDlOXmzPFw0wM8qT6d3QHHmY4d7i1asCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Palm Springs Unified School District staff and leaders from the nonprofit Read With Me presented the district board with an overview of a long-running volunteer literacy partnership that supplies tutors, mentors and books to elementary classrooms across the Coachella Valley.

Jessica Whiteman, the district’s director of elementary curriculum and instruction, introduced Read With Me as a nonprofit founded by Roberta Klein that “assists children from low‑income, limited‑English environments to develop to their fullest potential by learning to read, comprehend and speak English.” Whiteman said the organization partners with all three valley school districts (Palm Springs Unified, Desert Sands and Coachella Valley) and that Palm Springs Unified will expand the program to additional elementary schools next year.

Read With Me Executive Director Sean Webb, a Riverside County Office of Education employee, told the board the program provides volunteers to classrooms and donates books at schools and community events. Webb and district staff reported recent program data for Palm Springs Unified:
- 2022–23 and 2023–24 combined: 106–164 classroom volunteers (range reported in presentation), nearly 4,000 mentoring/tutoring hours in classrooms, and more than 4,000 books distributed to schools with roughly 15,000 books provided during community events.
- Through April of the 2024–25 school year: 142 classroom volunteers, over 3,000 hours of mentoring and tutoring, 4,624 books provided to schools, nearly 15,000 books purchased for book fairs, and 17,000 books distributed at community events.

Whiteman described the program’s onboarding and operating model: when a school agrees to partner, site administrators recruit teacher interest while Read With Me recruits, clears and orients volunteers; volunteers commit at least one hour per week (many serve more), usually during a November–April season though some serve year-round. Read With Me coordinates with district volunteer clearance procedures and training.

Sean Webb outlined summer and community activities planned for 2025, including weekly reading hours at the Children’s Discovery Museum, book distribution at food-bank events, and participation in a free-movie summer program at the Mary Pickford Theater where volunteers supply books during movie previews. Webb thanked district staff for what he described as an easy fingerprinting and TB-clearance process and praised the district’s volunteer coordination.

Board members thanked the organization for its work and praised volunteers; several board members noted Read With Me’s recent recognition by the Cathedral City Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce as Nonprofit of the Year. No board action was required or taken on the presentation.

","District staff and Read With Me leaders described a volunteer literacy partnership that provided thousands of volunteer hours, tens of thousands of books, and plans to expand to additional Palm Springs elementary schools.",{"_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},6224516,"Palm Springs Unified board adopts state-required K–2 reading screener, plans rollout next school year",2020,4580000,6600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3550368-6a97a27914a19502ffd4aacedfff4b71&start=4580&end=6600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3550368-6a97a27914a19502ffd4aacedfff4b71/thumbnail_4580000.jpg","/articles/6224516/California/Palm-Springs-Unified-board-adopts-state-required-K2-reading-screener-plans-rollout-next-school-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224516-4ee2b38c7dcac980b2cd73c1d8b6f8ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142597&Signature=KlNKfRYjQjXb1MBM-LzP-TXXN8fZVNN-DHnGcCCs5oCV-WIzcmXgWCGlwrKcmXXpsSDEzKYVyJAFp0TiVG73xXyu-eooOhFx0NdFj2N8z~WrmLIL90aVmEkUVXF2pAgKkkfFqAQ9gaTAdaqIZ-bVkOMGT7cnV8oPBct-eHIe0NT70QLnToEXeawvQhQuUXArjd23Dvr-lAnUXiU6cA~yUeBukPv0jFy~5U2U~jzsbgI3Qaqm-ce~eIR8m9djafZFBKpX~Wd43QYovEJA0p-UEu2XyqhUt1HbGWqJppzwugP7rBP9QHu5y-poB2MQyJfPzBqgza~YlHUaoTvFpcmkGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Palm Springs Unified School District board voted to adopt MCAS DIBELS as the district’s K–2 reading screener on Tuesday, approving the recommendation after a multi-week pilot and an extended question-and-answer session.

District Director of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction Jessica Whiteman told the board the move responds to a new California Education Code requirement that local education agencies screen kindergarten through second-grade students for risk of reading difficulties, including dyslexia. “The results are not a diagnosis but more so just an indicator that there is a concern, to intervene,” Whiteman said.

Whiteman said the district piloted two options, Amira (an AI-driven product) and MCAS DIBELS, from Feb. 27 through May 12 with 42 teachers representing every elementary grade and program. The pilot team favored MCAS DIBELS; district staff obtained a quote of $62,575 to license MCAS DIBELS and to add licenses for grades 3–5 so the district uses one consistent assessment across elementary grades. The district plans to remove the current screeners (CBMs and ESGI used in kindergarten) and to adopt MCAS DIBELS in their place.

Why it matters: The new law requires annual screening of every kindergarten through second-grade student unless a parent submits a written opt-out; districts must notify parents at least 15 days before screening and provide results within 45 days. Whiteman said the state-funded rollout includes required professional development and that publishers are charging primarily for training rather than K–2 licenses because the state requires training tied to the screener.

Board members asked detailed operational and equity questions during the discussion. Whiteman described several implementation points:
- Frequency and timing: The district will administer the screener three times a year (beginning, middle and end of year) to better track progress, although the state requires only one administration.
- Time per student: Administration time varies by grade and by student need; most upper-grade administrations take a couple of minutes while younger students or students who require additional diagnostic probes may take five to seven minutes.
- Who administers the screener: Teachers will administer MCAS DIBELS and hear students read; literacy coaches and trained paraprofessionals will support rollout and calibration. Whiteman described a trainer-of-trainers model and a roughly two-hour administration training for teachers, with additional coach support and follow-up professional development on release days.
- Multilingual learners: If a student speaks insufficient English and the screener is available in the student’s primary language, the district must screen in that primary language; otherwise staff will use a home-language survey and alternative processes described in the Education Code. Whiteman said the district will work with its English Learner department on alternate-language options and parent notification materials.
- Use of results: The screener is an indicator to guide intervention and progress monitoring, not a high‑stakes diagnostic. It “lets you know if there’s a reading difficulty, like you have a fever,” Whiteman said; further investigation and targeted intervention are required before any special-education referral. The district plans to use existing reading intervention resources (UFLY/UFLI and site reading-intervention teachers) and small-group blocks, not to remove students from core instruction during whole-group teaching time.

Board members also asked about bias and AI scoring after the pilot: Whiteman said Amira’s automated scoring required extensive teacher review during the pilot, and pilot teachers reported rescoring errors and loss of trust in some automatically scored items. By contrast, MCAS DIBELS is teacher‑administered (one-on-one) and teachers can rescore and calibrate.

The motion to adopt the MCAS DIBELS screener passed after discussion. The board directed staff to proceed with procurement, finalize a professional‑development plan, revise the district assessment calendar to remove superseded screeners, and establish notification processes for new enrollees to meet the state’s 45-day requirement to screen newly enrolled students.

Implementation details and clarifications made at the meeting:
- Pilot dates: Feb. 27–May 12, 2025; pilot included 42 teachers across all elementary sites and programs.
- Vendor quote: $62,575 for district licenses covering K–5 (district added 3rd–5th grade licenses to keep one assessment system).
- Training: Publisher’s full MCAS DIBELS training is six hours; district will use trainer-of-trainers, two-hour teacher administration training, and ongoing coach support.
- Parent rules: District must provide parent notification at least 15 days before screening and deliver student results within 45 days; written parental opt-out is allowed.
- Legal limits: Whiteman repeated that the screener “cannot be used for high-stakes decisions such as reclassification for English learners, qualification for special education, or promotion/retention.”

The board approved the adoption at the public meeting and staff will return with procurement and training plans before the next school year.

","The Palm Springs Unified School District board voted to adopt the MCAS DIBELS K–2 reading screener after a district pilot and discussion about training, multilingual students, and how results will be used. The contract quote is $62,575 and the district will replace existing CBM/ESGI screeners.","actionData","errors"]

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Board approves purchase of 1247 South Gene Autry Trail for Expanded Learning and storage; closing set for next day

Read With Me volunteers credited with thousands of reading hours in Palm Springs Unified

Palm Springs Unified board adopts state-required K–2 reading screener, plans rollout next school year