District leaders presented the Brea Olinda Unified School District's 2025 California School Dashboard to the board, saying the district is performing at or above pre-pandemic levels while acknowledging persistent gaps for some student groups.

"Overall, our dashboard looks really good," Carrie Johnson, district presenter, said, adding the district is "green in almost every area with exception of chronic absenteeism." She noted a districtwide score of 36.7 points above standard and highlighted gains in English language arts and mathematics compared with 2019.

The presentation walked trustees through how the state's accountability tool assigns performance colors (blue, green, yellow, orange, red) and explained local indicators such as school climate, access to course offerings and the status of facilities and teacher credentials. Johnson and Dr. Velez described how indicators are calculated, how small subgroup sizes affect reporting, and why the state now reports additional measures such as long-term English learners (LTELs).

Trustees focused questions on two policy risks identified in the presentation: chronic absenteeism among K' students and progress for English learners. Dr. Velez said 57.7% of English learners were making progress and that LTELs showed improvement this year, but some groups remain behind. "We have done a really good job," she said, while noting that particular student groups continue to require targeted intervention.

On chronic absenteeism, Johnson and Velez said district staff plan to expand interventions the board has already used: principal- and counselor-led home visits, targeted McKinney-Vento outreach for unhoused students, and partnerships to provide transportation and other family resources. Dr. Velez said the district is exploring an alternatives-to-suspension pilot that would keep students on campus with certificated teachers and counseling support rather than sending them home.

Trustees pressed for practical next steps. Trustee Dina Miller asked how the data are shared with teachers; staff said they have briefed principals and teacher leaders and plan additional staff-level presentations. Trustees also discussed possible funding sources and grants to support community liaisons and outreach, with Johnson noting that Title III and other targeted funds are available but limited by district size.

The presentation closed with a staff pledge to dig into grade- and subgroup-level root causes, pilot alternatives to suspension, and work with principals to ensure teachers receive actionable summaries of the dashboard data.

The board did not take a formal vote on the dashboard itself; staff will return with follow-ups and implementation plans.