District staff presented an update on the Eureka Union School District’s GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) and high‑achiever services, summarizing participation, site services, professional development and budget use. Administrators asked the board to continue funding teacher training and collaboration time that they say improves differentiated classroom instruction.

Why it matters: GATE services are a small but visible part of the district’s programing; staff said increased identification, interdistrict transfers and teacher certification influence both student access and instructional practices. The presentation also highlighted equity gaps the district said it will address.

Participation and demographics: the report compared 2024 and 2025 figures and noted an increase in identified students (third–eighth grade) from 291 to 291+ (presenter cited a percent increase to 12.6% of grades 3–8 and 8.3% districtwide). Staff emphasized growth in twice‑exceptional identification (students with disabilities who also qualify for GATE), reporting an increase from 14 to 18 students described as twice‑exceptional. The presenter noted a decline in students identified as socioeconomically disadvantaged within the GATE group (11 last year to 2 this year) and said the sample size on parent survey responses was small.

Professional development and program delivery: staff outlined training investments — seven teachers and five administrators attended the National Association for Gifted Children conference; a district summer training on “depth and complexity” was provided and several teachers obtained GATE certification. The report argued that planning and collaboration time for teachers is the highest‑impact investment for improving classroom differentiation.

Site examples and enrichment: site principals and GATE teachers described clustered classrooms, STEM and maker activities, robotics and public‑speaking programs, before‑ and after‑school clubs, and partnerships such as VEX IQ robotics with Granite Bay High School. One teacher who attended the national conference said she returned with immediately usable ideas and that sub days for planning “helped” collaboration.

Budget and carryover: staff told trustees that the board allocated approximately $85,850 for GATE in the year under review and that about $55,000 had been spent to date; presenters said remaining funds should be used for more professional development and certification support. Board members asked for more consistent communication to parents about what differentiation looks like in classrooms and for more uniform documentation of services districtwide.

Action taken: trustees received the report and discussed communication and equity goals; no formal policy change or additional allocation was approved at the meeting.