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Dr. Gina Ramirez outlines Santa Paula Unified's LCAP process, priorities and engagement plan
Summary
At the first of three LCAP engagement meetings, Dr. Gina Ramirez described the Local Control and Accountability Plan process, the district's five stated goals and how roughly $18 million in LCFF supplemental funding is directed toward targeted student groups, and she invited community input at upcoming sessions.
Dr. Gina Ramirez, who introduced herself as the presenter, opened the Santa Paula Unified School District's first of three Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) engagement meetings and explained the purpose of the sessions: to build a shared understanding of the LCAP process, the eight state priorities and how stakeholder input informs district spending and actions.
"We're here committed to serving every student every day," Dr. Ramirez said, framing the meeting around the district's vision and a learner profile that emphasizes creative problem solving, collaboration, compassionate communication and confidence.
The LCAP, Dr. Ramirez said, is a three-year plan established under state law in 2013 that asks districts to tell a story of supports, impact and improvement. She described the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) that funds districts: a base allocation per student, adjustments by grade span and additional supplemental funding for specified groups such as emergent bilinguals, foster youth and students who are unhoused.
"Out of this, $108,000,000 and $18,000,000 is specifically to be spent on that group of students," Dr. Ramirez stated in the presentation, identifying districtwide funding levels and the portion designated for targeted populations as presented to attendees.
Dr. Ramirez read the district's five headline goals for the LCAP: Goal 1 aims to equip students with academic skills and learner-profile competencies and will be measured by key performance indicators to be shared at the next meeting; Goal 2 focuses on grade-level proficiency in literacy and math with an emphasis on closing achievement gaps for English learners, foster youth, low-income students and students with disabilities; Goal 3 centers on student engagement, parent involvement and a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) for academic and social-emotional needs; Goal 4 targets equitable learning conditions through recruiting and retaining qualified staff, maintaining facilities and aligning curriculum; and Goal 5 sets a target for Renaissance High School to increase student stability toward an 80% rate as stated in the presentation.
Participants offered immediate feedback. One attendee said the clearest takeaway was that LCFF funds are set aside for special populations, and another participant raised a concern about connecting line-item budget detail to the district's goals.
Dr. Ramirez emphasized the advisory nature of the engagement sessions: the meetings are intended to build consensus and form recommendations for the district's LCAP advisory body rather than to produce binding votes or replace collective bargaining processes.
The district announced two follow-up meetings: Monday, April 7 (focused on needs and gaps and a deeper review of data) and Monday, April 28 (when the LCAP actions and recommendations will be discussed), both at Blanchard Cafeteria with separate English and Spanish time slots. Dr. Ramirez provided a contact email for follow-up as presented during the meeting.
