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Carpinteria board approves four school SPSAs after principals' presentations amid union objections
Summary
Principals presented Single Plans for Student Achievement for Aliso, Canalino, the middle school and Carpinteria High; the board approved all four plans in a single up-or-down vote while union leaders objected that the SPSA documents were attached but not reviewed in the meeting.
Carpinteria Unified School District principals presented the site Single Plans for Student Achievement (SPSAs) for Aliso, Canalino, Carpinteria Middle School and Carpinteria High School at the Nov. 13 board meeting. The presentations summarized enrollment and demographic data, assessment results, interventions and parent-engagement activities. After the presentations the board voted to approve all four SPSAs in a single vote.
Aliso presenter Brett Wyberg reviewed enrollment, declining English-learner counts and reclassification rates, CAST and STAR trends, ELD/SLD interventions and a push on math instruction including district-supported math professional development. He also noted chronic absenteeism reductions and Measure U work progressing on the Catalina Learning Center.
Canalino presenter Luis Quintero described similar instructional initiatives at his site, reported an increase in math proficiency and an improving reclassification rate, and highlighted family-school events and after-school programming. CMS principal Jamie Pursuant called out CAASPP performance patterns (noting sixth grade ELA struggles), ELD supports and behavioral interventions; CHS principal Mr. Cornejo described dual-enrollment expansion, CTE participation and an intervention plan for students earning Ds or Fs.
Union leadership praised principals' presentations but repeatedly objected to the board’s procedure of approving the SPSA documents by a single up-or-down vote while saying the full SPSA attachments were not reviewed aloud at the meeting. "We did not look at the SPSAs this evening," the union spokesperson said; the union urged the board to clarify how it would determine approval without discussing the documents in public. In response, the presiding board member pointed to the SPSAs being included as agenda attachments and said board members had the opportunity to review them.
The board then voted by voice to approve the 2024–25 SPSAs for the four sites. Subsequent routine business included approving the 2024 parent-involvement plans (Title I), warrants totaling $688,875.09, and donations to school programs. The board also approved Collings and Associates' proposal for fire-sprinkler engineering services for the new Aliso kindergarten building, an estimate of $16,520 (construction document and DSA phases) to be paid from Measure U bond funds.
What happens next: Site SPSA documents are in the board packet as attachments; the union requested additional public review and asked for HR and remuneration topics to be placed on future agendas.
Sources: Site presentations by Brett Wyberg (Aliso), Luis Quintero (Canalino), Jamie Pursuant (CMS) and Mr. Cornejo (CHS); public comments by union leadership; board votes recorded at the Nov. 13 meeting.
