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Frank Paul Elementary principal reports staffing gains, large English-learner population and newcomer surge
Summary
Principal Miguel Porras told the board Frank Paul is fully staffed this year, serves 637 students with a majority English learners, and recorded an unusually high number of newcomer students; the presentation included academic and attendance metrics and student-support details.
Miguel Porras, principal of Frank Paul Elementary School, told the Alisal Union School District Board of Trustees that his site is "fully staffed this year" and described a student population with a high share of English learners and an increase in newcomer students.
Porras said the school has 637 students and that 368 of those students are English learners. He told trustees the site has 27 teachers, one counselor and one psychologist, and additional support staff including an instructional coach, reading specialist and an early literacy coach. "For the first time in a long time, We are, fully staffed this year with incredible support," Porras said.
Porras reported 57 students identified as homeless and 154 identified as migrant students. He also said the school had a higher-than-usual number of newcomers — 13 students across grades 2–6 — and described the newcomer numbers as the largest he has seen at the site.
On academic measures, Porras presented iReady diagnostic movement between the first and second assessments: students at and above grade level in reading rose from 3% to 7%; early on-grade-level rose from 8% to 13%; however the percentage one year below grade level increased from 26% to 29%, a shift Porras attributed to movement of students between bands as intervention efforts caused some students to advance from deeper deficits into the one-year-below band.
The principal described schoolwide intervention and instructional strategies: 45 minutes of tier 1 differentiated small-group language-arts instruction, alignment of instructional minutes across grade levels, restructuring intervention teachers to provide push-in support for K–3, and math pacing and vertical articulation work led by the instructional coach. He noted chronic absenteeism at 15.6% districtwide and at Frank Paul, and a suspension rate of 0.9% (six students) for the year.
Board members asked Porras how the district and school verify homeless status and support affected families. Porras said identification is recorded in PowerSchool and that the school provides support services where possible, including clothing and food through the site family resource center. He said staff conduct home visits and that school-site adults reassure students in the face of immigration-related anxieties: "When our students are at school, we represent them," Porras said, adding "If authorities come ... I'm gonna deal with it or Mr. Martinez is gonna deal with it."
Assistant Principal Jorge Martinez reviewed student engagement activities and after-school enrollment: monthly PBIS events draw about 350 students on average; after-school and parallel programs listed included a regular after-school program (12 enrolled), All Star drum line (32), All Star guitar ensemble (42) and migrant extended-day (48).
Ending: Trustees commended Porras and Martinez for the site's staffing and low suspension numbers and raised questions about newcomer placement and instructional supports; the board moved on to the district LCAP midyear update following the presentation.
