District communications staff presented the Family Engagement Plan for 2025–26, outlining three primary goals: increase parent leadership participation, strengthen two‑way communication, and empower school principals to expand engagement at their sites. The plan includes a parent‑ambassador program with one trained ambassador per school this year, a district guide of resources in English and Spanish, a schedule of workshops and community ‘exploration station’ visits designed to connect parents to services.

Staff reviewed last year’s participation numbers: workshops averaged roughly a dozen attendees, with the most attended session drawing 27 people; some sessions had very low turnout and several were canceled for external reasons. To address low attendance staff said the district will vary times, provide interpretation, offer childcare and consider modest incentives for parents to attend. A pilot ‘exploration station’ had 47 parent participants last year and district staff plan to expand that model with limited seats and targeted selection of parent participants for each school visit.

Staff said they have created a resource guide for principals with vetted providers — some free and some fee‑based — and will work with site leaders to schedule workshops based on school community needs. Trustees praised the plan and asked staff to provide detailed attendance metrics and cost breakdowns for paid vendors; staff said they will follow up with those figures.

Several parents and a parent ambassador spoke in support of the program during the meeting, describing how school‑level ambassadors have helped build trust and boost participation. Communications staff said they will support ambassadors between meetings and expand the program in future years.