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Board questions timing, cost and outreach for Parent University keynote and breakout sessions
Summary
The superintendent’s team proposed a May 3 Parent University event featuring a keynote and 10 breakout sessions; trustees asked why the board had not been briefed earlier, how interpreters and attendance goals will be handled and whether Title funds are the proper source to cover the vendor’s fee.
The administration presented plans for a Parent University event scheduled for May 3, proposing a keynote speaker and multiple breakout sessions and outlining a funding plan that relies on federal Title I and Title IV funds.
Director (School Improvement) Miss Stovall described a package that includes a keynote speaker, two breakout sessions provided by that vendor, videography at no extra charge and ten breakout sessions run twice during the day (English and Spanish). Stovall said the typical cost for the keynote and sessions would be about $15,000 and that the district had obtained the services at roughly half that price. Each building was assigned an attendance goal of 75 parents; Stovall estimated total attendance at just over 500 parents and reported that the last time the event was held attendance was 119.
Trustee Smith and other trustees raised procedural concerns that the board had not been briefed before event details were publicized and questioned whether such a large expenditure should be discussed with the board earlier in the planning process. Stovall said the parent-engagement committee (about a dozen members including building principals, the parent engagement coordinator and federal grant staff) developed the plan and that the time had been moved back one hour after consulting principals; breakfast will now open at 8:15 a.m. and the first keynote is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.
Trustees asked how Spanish interpretation would work across concurrent breakout sessions. Stovall said the district will use bilingual district staff and contracted interpreters for sessions; the registration form will ask participants if they need interpretation. Trustees also asked about fund source: Stovall said Title I and Title IV funds were planned and noted that the district must allocate a portion of those federal grants to parent engagement activities as part of the grant requirements.
Trustees requested more advance notice on large community events, clearer documentation of the planning committee and confirmation of the budget and interpretation logistics; staff said they would provide those details.
