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Superintendent cites CUSAC review and chronic absenteeism, pledges more engagement and limited cross‑enrollment
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Summary
Superintendent Yano presented CUSAC re‑evaluation results and chronic absenteeism data, said each school will retain its current structure next year, and described a phased plan to expand students' access to courses through cross‑enrollment and an aligned schedule; he promised additional town halls and staff meetings.
State district superintendent Yano framed the campus initiative as an effort to expand equitable access while preserving each school's core identity and said the district will proceed "thoughtfully and deliberatively." He told the board that the district submitted additional information to the department of education and that certain CUSAC scores improved after re‑review: instruction and program rose to 70% and fiscal management to 83%; because instruction remains below the 80% threshold, the district remains under an improvement plan.
Yano highlighted persistent challenges: chronic absenteeism rates above 40% in several campus buildings and a significant number of students at risk of failing multiple classes. He said the district will maintain the four‑school structure next year and focus on creating aligned bell and block schedules so students and staff can coordinate cross‑enrollment where teacher schedules permit.
On course priority, Yano said, "The student who's in the program going through the progression of classes has the priority for those classrooms because they are taking the prerequisites as they move forward into the program." He added that introductory courses could be opened more broadly if teachers have open periods.
Yano committed to further engagement: sending a letter and posting an FAQ on the district website, holding lunches to hear from students across all four lunches, convening staff meetings, and expanding the leadership group to include student representatives from ROTC, athletics and clubs.
The presentation acknowledged the budget shortfall and enrollment challenges and described outreach efforts with partners such as Rowan University and CEA to support recruitment and teacher pipelines. No binding timetable for final structural decisions was announced; the superintendent said implementation planning for an aligned schedule will continue next year.
