Marin County Office presents LCAP focused on alternative education and equity

The Marin County Office of Education opened a public hearing June 9 to present its county-wide Local Control Accountability Plan, a three-year, equity-focused plan for alternative education programs. Laura, the county LCAP presenter, told trustees the document is designed to reduce disparities across student groups and to align spending with measurable goals.

"The LCAP is really designed to be, to reduce disparities in and across student groups," Laura said, explaining that the plan links goals, metrics and expenditures. The presenters emphasized the county office role is narrower than a district LCAP and focuses primarily on alternative-education programs, foster and expelled youth and accountability measures tied to LCFF.

The presentation highlighted several site-level initiatives: expanded bilingual mental-health providers, a new wellness center and pilot programs for flexible learning pathways aimed at credit recovery. Elizabeth Abercrombie, assistant principal, noted success on academic outcomes at one school and continued challenges with chronic absenteeism: "We continue to look at how we can get kids to earn more credits and recover credits because many of them come to us credit deficient."

Trustees pressed staff on metrics and targets for student belonging and how those targets were chosen; presenters said the district developed a local survey this year after other statewide instruments proved less useful. The public hearing closed with trustees acknowledging the plan and inviting further engagement before final LCAP adoption at the end of the month.