Eugene School District 4J

October 16, 2019
School Board Work Session and Regular Meeting

On Wednesday, October 16, 2019, the school board held a work session to interview candidates to serve on the budget committee, followed by a regular board meeting.

By Oregon law, the school district’s budget committee is made up of the district’s 7-member board of directors and and an equal number of district residents appointed by the board. The budget committee reviews the proposed budget, listens to comments from community members, asks questions, and approves the budget total and tax rates to forward to the school board for adoption.

There are two open positions on the 4J budget committee this fall. District residents were invited to apply between September 19 and October 9 at 5 p.m. to be considered for appointment. The 12 district residents who submitted applications during this period were interviewed by the school board in the work session on October 16: Juan Carlos Valle, Mellani Ocampo, William Fritz, Stephen Parac, Ryan Collay, Maya Rabasa, Gregory James Fornero, Barry Meyers, Camille Pincock, Eli Ruth-Cheff, Beth Ball and Ericka Thessen.

At the next regular board meeting on November 6, the board will ballot to select two candidates and take action to appoint them to the budget committee. The two committee members appointed this fall will serve three-year terms that run through June 30, 2022.

The school board’s regular business meeting followed the work session.

Information Items (no board action is normally expected to be taken)

• Received a guest presentation from Eugene Education Association / Students First Alliance on Student Success Act community conversations: The school district is engaging community input on district needs and investments to best leverage this additional education funding to support student success, with a focus on improving outcomes for groups of students who have historically experienced academic disparities. Some other local organizations also are gathering input, which the district will include in its process along with input from the district’s surveys, community meetings and other community engagement. The Eugene Education Association, 4J’s teacher union, has organized “Students First Alliance” community conversations this fall, inviting selected staff, parents and community members to engage in dialogue about the Student Success Act. The board invited the Eugene Education Association / Students First Alliance to this board meeting to present information about the meetings they have held.
• Received an update on Student Success Act process: Staff provided an update on the district’s Student Success Act process. Each school district must develop a plan for how to invest funding from the Student Investment Account, with a focus on equity and with community engagement including input from staff, students and families from historically underserved communities. The first step is for districts to develop a District Needs Assessment informed by a data review and community input. 4J community members have provided input via three community forums, two staff forums, several hundred responses to an online survey, and in targeted outreach at numerous community meetings and events serving historically underserved students and families. This input is being coded and will be shared with the board and the public when the analysis is complete. The District Needs Assessment will be presented for board review in November. Eugene School District 4J plans further community engagement beyond what is prescribed, with a second phase of engagement in November regarding potential investments to support student success, informed by the input received in the first phase in September. The district’s investment plan and Student Investment Account grant application will then be developed informed by this community input and a review of student data. The district’s application will be presented for community review and board consideration and approval prior to its submission in March 2020. (Student Success Act information)
• Received a school/program update: Fox Hollow: In 2016 the district opened a program at the Fox Hollow Campus in south Eugene (previously the location of the Charlemagne French Immersion Elementary School). It is an alternative special program that houses three programs in one building, primarily serving students receiving special education services. The three programs at the Fox Hollow Campus are:

– Fox Hollow Program: Serves students in grades K–8 who struggle with challenging behavior. The Fox Hollow Program aims to fill behavioral skill deficits, teaching students struggling with behavior the skills they need to be successful to transition back to a less restrictive setting in a neighborhood school and to increase the amount of instructional time.
– Home Instruction Program: Serves K–8 students on campus and K–12 students off campus who are in need of a temporary placement or have a documented medical need that limits their ability to attend traditional school, either for a short or long period of time.
– Lane Educational Service District (ESD) Tier 3 Life Skills Program: Serves high school students who need a very individualized program to make progress on daily living skills.

• Received an update on state school profile reports: Each year, the Oregon Department of Education issues reports for every public school and district in Oregon. The report cards largely collate, reformat and re-present information already published in other contexts. ODE last year redesigned the school report cards, aiming to share information that is meaningful and accessible to parents, families and the broader school community. The primary report is now a two-page “At-a-Glance School Profile” report that includes information on selected 2019 state test results, 2018 graduation rates, student and teacher demographics, attendance, school programs, and more. Eugene School District 4J students who completed state tests in 2019 outperformed the state average in every subject, every grade, and every student group. The 2018–19 report cards will be published on October 17. 
• Discussed priorities for 2020 Oregon Legislative Session: The board received a report from the Board Legislative Subcommittee and discussed priorities for the upcoming legislative short session.

Board Actions

• Approved initiating the curriculum adoption process for middle school math: The board discussed and approved beginning the adoption process for middle school math curriculum. Current middle school math curriculum licensing expires in 2020 and hardcopy books need replacement. In 2017, 4J math teacher leaders designed the district’s Math Pathway course sequence and placement options, and provided a multi-step plan for increasing success for all students, with particular emphasis on historically marginalized student groups. One part of this plan includes the adoption of new instructional materials to support a districtwide scope and sequence for math learning in grades 6–10. The district’s formal adoption process for core curriculum is a collaborative, teacher-driven process. Feedback from stakeholder groups will be elicited throughout the selection process. Staff capacity will be built through implementation, professional development, and sustainability of the new curriculum. (Curriculum adoption process)
• Approved policy updates: The board approved policy revisions, additions and deletions to conform to changes in state law and updates to policy best practices, and to change language from “citizen” to “community member” to be more inclusive of all district students and families.

BA Board Goals (revision)
BBA Board Powers and Duties (revision)
BCF Advisory Committees to the Board (revision)
CPA Layoff and Recall of Administrative Personnel (adoption)
ECAB Vandalism/ Malicious Mischief/ Theft (revision)
GBDA Milk Expression (revision)
JECB Admission of Nonresident Students (revision)
JFC Student Conduct (revision)
JGAB Use of Restraint and Seclusion (revision)
JHFDA Suspension of Student Driving Privileges (deletion)
IBDJA Homeschooled Students (adoption)

Items for Future Action (board action is expected at a later meeting)

• Discussed board working agreements: The board discussed draft working agreements, with further discussion to come in future meetings.
• Considered proposed policy updates: The board considered policy revisions, additions and deletions to conform to changes in state law and updates to policy best practices.

AC Nondiscrimination (revision)
AC-AR Discrimination Complaint Procedure (addition)
IKF Graduation Requirements (revision)
JFCJ Weapons in Schools (revision)
JFCF Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying, Cyberbullying, Hazing, Teen Dating Violence and Domestic Violence (revision)
KL Public Complaints (revision)

Suggestions by the Board for Consideration of Items at a Future Meeting

Board members discussed potential future items including menstrual products, religious holidays and a work session on board working agreements.

Public Input

7 people provided public comment to the board, including comments regarding:

• Class sizes
• Standardized assessments
• Math curriculum
• School librarians
• Relocation of Yujin Gakuen to Kelly Middle School

Agenda and Materials

NOTE:  This is a quick summary of the topics and actions at a meeting of the school board. It is NOT the official minutes of the meeting. Official minutes are posted after they are drafted by the minutes recorder, reviewed and approved by the board at a following meeting. Recordings of meetings are posted within two days after the meeting. 

School Board Meeting Schedule & Information

Summaries of Other School Board Meetings