West Contra Costa Schools Superintendent outlines attendance, budget and reforms at Richmond neighborhood meeting

Cheryl Cotton, superintendent of the West Contra Costa Unified School District, visited the Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council on Oct. 27 to outline academic results, attendance and fiscal pressures facing the district and to solicit community support.

Cotton said state CAASPP results released in October show about 33% of students meeting or exceeding standards in English language arts and about 25% meeting or exceeding standards in mathematics across the district. “Those are not great,” she said, calling the results “averages” that hide both bright spots and more-challenging schools.

Why it matters: Cotton said the district’s revenue depends heavily on average daily attendance (ADA) and that her administrators see attendance and enrollment as levers the community can help influence. She told meeting attendees the district’s ADA is running around 85%, and that raises the risk of recurring budget shortfalls unless the district retains and reclaims students and improves attendance.

Details from the presentation

- District size and staff: Cotton said West Contra Costa serves 54 school sites, including 26 designated community schools offering wrap-around services, and employs roughly 4,000 staff members. She said roughly 90% of students and staff identify as people of color and the district serves more than 4,000 students with individualized education programs.

- At…