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Board approves one-year agreement with county to fund Fitzgerald alternative classroom after student testimony
Summary
The Santa Maria Bonita School District board approved a one-year, approximately $632,000 agreement with the Santa Barbara County Office of Education to fund a Fitzgerald Community School classroom, citing its role as an alternative to expulsion and a route for student re-engagement.
The Santa Maria Bonita School District board voted to approve a one-year agreement with the Santa Barbara County Office of Education to fund an alternative-education classroom at Fitzgerald Community School, a program district leaders said prevents expulsions and helps students return to their home schools.
District presenters told the board the contract covers the full operational costs of a single Fitzgerald classroom — including teachers, counselors, meals, facilities, professional development and administrative support — and that prior three-year usage showed the district rarely needed more than one classroom. A district speaker said the contract is an annual agreement that includes the systems necessary to operate a single classroom.
Student testimony was central to the presentation. Bailey, a former Fitzgerald student who returned to SMBSD and graduated with her peers, described how the smaller setting and wraparound supports helped her refocus. “Going to Fitzgerald changed everything for me. It gave me the space to reset,” she said, adding that mentors and staff “refused to give up on me.”
Board members asked about cost and utilization. A district official said the $632,000 figure is an annual estimate that covers the classroom infrastructure and noted the district typically paid a half deposit in December with a final accounting later. Officials said the county office is the only local provider able to operate the community alternative program and that operating a standalone classroom requires the full set of supports, even if only a small number of seats are used.
A motion to approve the agreement passed after board discussion; one member registered opposition during the vote. The motion did not record a detailed roll-call tally in the transcript. The district said the agreement reduces prior contracting from two classrooms to one to align with actual need and emphasized the program’s role in reducing suspensions and returning students to SMBSD schools.
Next steps: the agreement will be finalized and the district will continue trimester reviews with Fitzgerald and monthly case reviews with community partners to evaluate students for potential return to district schools.
