Trustees hear midyear LCAP update and district culture‑and‑climate survey; principals to use results for site plans

Assistant Superintendent Dustin Haley reported to the Rescue Union Elementary School District Board of Trustees on the midyear Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and presented results from the district's culture and climate student survey, saying the midyear update is a new, required checkpoint and that the district will publish a fuller metrics report in June.

"By the end in June, we will have our full metrics report to provide," Haley said, summarizing the midyear purpose and next steps.

The district reported roughly $38.5 million in Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) revenue with about $1.3 million in supplemental funding. Haley said the LCAP progress is organized around three goals: academic achievement, safety/social‑emotional supports, and infrastructure. He told trustees some metrics are complete while others are still in progress and will be finalized at the end of the school year.

On academic measures Haley cited state and local data showing progress in English language arts and math indicators and said English‑learner measures have improved substantially from earlier red indicators. He also told the board the district reduced chronic absenteeism by a little over 2.5 percentage points compared with prior reporting.

Haley and other staff described work to support English learners (led locally by intervention teacher Stephanie Polnasek), expand science instruction ahead of the CAST assessment, and refine local assessments such as EasyCBM and IXL diagnostic tools for monitoring student growth throughout the year.

Haley said the midyear update follows a change prompted by legislation referred to in the presentation as Bill 130, which requires a midyear LCAP update by February. The report included expenditure context from district materials that district staff said are summarized in the board packet appendix.

Haley also reviewed the district's culture and climate survey results. The district used separate questionnaires for elementary (grades 3—5) and middle school (grades 6—7) students. The elementary survey required active parent permission; 643 elementary students participated this year, up from 454 last year. Middle schools recorded more than 1,100 responses across both sites.

Survey highlights the district shared include high scores on school connectedness and perceptions that students are treated respectfully. Middle school students reported particularly high academic motivation on the district instrument; elementary students scored lower on an item the district labeled "academic motivation," which Haley and trustees discussed may reflect vocabulary or comprehension differences for younger respondents.

Haley cautioned about literal interpretations of some questions. On weapon and fight items he said students are asked whether they have seen a weapon or been in a fight one or more times; he noted students sometimes answer literally (for example, reporting seeing a hunting knife that a peer brought from home), and that discipline referral counts in the district's administrative records are substantially lower than the percentage of students who self‑reported "one or more" fights on the survey.

Trustees and staff discussed next steps: principals will receive site reports and use the data in site plans tied to the LCAP goals; the MTSS coordinator, Jen Lawson, is developing targeted supports for students with academic or social‑emotional needs; and the district will continue attendance monitoring and family outreach for students with chronic absences.

Haley and trustees emphasized that the midyear update is a snapshot and the district will present comprehensive LCAP data and expenditure details in June for the three‑year plan cycle.

Votes at a glance

The board approved a routine set of procedural items earlier in the meeting by voice vote. Of note:

- Trustees adopted the meeting agenda with agenda item 4 pulled (motion to adopt the agenda with item 4 pulled). Outcome: approved by voice vote (mover and second not specified in transcript).

- Trustees approved the consent agenda with item 6 pulled from consent (motion to approve consent agenda without item 6). Outcome: approved by voice vote (mover and second not specified in transcript).

- Trustees adjourned the meeting on a motion to adjourn. Outcome: approved by voice vote (mover and second not specified in transcript).