Gravenstein Union School District

-Best Elementary Schools in California - Gravenstein Elementary School, US News and World Report

-Best Middle Schools in California - Hillcrest Middle School, US News and World Report

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Strategic Planning Update

-Review of Vision and Mission Statements

-Current efforts to maintain strengths and best practices

-Facilities Master Plan Review

-Continuing alignment to Mission and Vision Statements for our budget, Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), School Safety Plan, School Accountability Report Card (SARC), EL Master Plan, and all other planning and reporting documents.

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Vision Statement:

By providing a rigorous and engaging education, GUSD will prepare all students academically and socially-emotionally for excellence in secondary education and beyond.

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Mission Statements:

1) GUSD will provide a rigorous and innovative educational experience that gives every student all the tools necessary for annual academic and social emotional growth.

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2) The educational experience for all GUSD students will be based on a solid foundation of expert core instruction and will be enhanced by a variety of enrichment experiences.

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Mission Statements:

3) The GUSD Board and leadership will work together with the community to provide outstanding staff and attractive, safe schools.

4) The GUSD Board and leadership will work together with the community and Administration to maintain a position of fiscal strength.

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Mission Statement:

1) GUSD will provide a rigorous and innovative educational experience that gives every student all the tools necessary for annual academic and social emotional growth. Current status:

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2021/22 California Academic Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP)

Percent of Students At or Above Grade Level

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CAASPP Testing, Cohort Groups - ELA

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CAASPP Testing, Cohort Groups - Math

2023 Parent Survey Responses:

-92.8% of parents are satisfied with their student’s academic progress this school year

-93.7% of parents agree that GUSD schools promote academic success for all students

-89.0% of parents are satisfied or very satisfied with the classroom instruction

-88.9% of parents agree that their child receives support in developing social life skills (such as integrity, self regulation, character, etc.)

-”My son is now in High School at Analy and I feel he was well prepared for the academic rigor.”

-”My children have done very well due to the efforts of teachers at GUSD.”

-”I have found GUSD to be incredibly welcoming and embracing of all students. The teachers and staff have an open attitude that encourages children and families to join in and be a part of the fun-loving, yet academic-driven environment. I have been overwhelmingly impressed with the care, education, and community that my child receives/is a part of at GUSD. Thank you so much!

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Discipline Data

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19*130 days of in-person instruction

**44 days of modified in-person instruction

Current efforts to maintain strengths and best practices:

-Ongoing work to maintain small class sizes

-Consistent implementation of trauma-informed educational practices

-Ongoing work to maintain Universal Supports (Tier 1, next slide)

-Ongoing work to maintain effective Targeted (Tier 2) Intensive Interventions (Tier 3); constantly on the lookout for new services and partnerships to increase Tier 2 and Tier 3 menu options

-Principals and Teachers are attending the Principals Support Network Series to establish a system of ongoing ELA and Mathematics assessments to monitor student performance levels

-Leadership Team working with CPI (Child Parent Institute) on a partnership to provide parent education and direct parent support services

-Development and implementation of Summer Jumpstart Program

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GUSD Multi Tiered System

Of Supports (MTSS)

Mission Statement:

2) The educational experience for all GUSD students will be based on a solid foundation of expert core instruction and will be enhanced by a variety of enrichment experiences.

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Current status of Expert Core Instruction and Variety of Enrichments:

-77% of our teachers have earned 60 or more college credits above and beyond their 4-year degree

-An average GUSD teacher has 13.7 years of classroom teaching experience

-TK and K students receive 5 enrichment sessions per week in four different subject areas

-1st through 5th graders receive 6 enrichment sessions per week in 4-5 different subject areas

-6th through 8th grade students are enrolled in 2 sections of electives daily (3 sections for Zero Period PE students)

-6th through 8th grade students can choose from a variety of Wednesday enrichment classes (typically 10-14 choices, 11 available this semester)

-Our menu of Enrichments includes the following: Art, Science, Band/Music, PE, STEM, Spanish, Disc Golf, Maker, Rock Band, Choir, Gardening, Dungeons and Dragons, Lego Robotics, Dance, and Yearbook.

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Current status of Expert Core Instruction and Variety of Enrichments, continued:

-Here are some parent comments related to enrichments from our parent survey:

“The frequent enrichment activities and field trips are absolutely valuable to our children, and we appreciate them so much!”

“The balance of enrichment and classroom time was a big part of why we chose Gravenstein and it's exactly as we hoped.”

“My child LOVES the enrichment teachers and the enrichment programs. We are very grateful.”

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Current efforts to recruit and retain top staff and a variety of enrichments:

-The GUSD salary schedules for Teachers and Classified Staff (Instructional Assistants, Secretaries, etc.) continue to be among the highest in Sonoma County

-The typical GUSD Teacher (column IV, step 14, STRS retirement benefits, Family Health Plan) receives $140,329 per year in total compensation for the 183 day contracted work year

-The typical full-time GUSD Instructional Assistant (8 hour day, Step 10, PERS retirement benefits, Family Health Plan) receives $75,419 per year in total compensation for the 193 day contracted work year (182 work days, 11 paid holidays)

-Every GUSD teacher, unless they are on the last step of the salary schedule, receives an automatic 2.4% salary and retirement benefits increase every year. Any negotiated salary increases are then added to that amount

-For the current teacher contract, for each of the last three years, teachers received an additional 5% annual salary and retirement benefits increase

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Current efforts to recruit and retain top staff and a variety of enrichments, continued:

-For the current classified staff contract, covering the last three years, employees received an increase of $7.00 per hour and the corresponding retirement benefits increase (an additional $1.86 per hour)

-For the last three years, every GUSD classified employee, unless they are on the last step of the salary schedule, received an additional automatic salary and retirement benefits increase every year ranging from 1.7 to 2.0%

-In order to facilitate expert core instruction, we work very hard to keep our class sizes small

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*National Center for Education Statistics

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Additionally, when including other staff such as principals, counselors, instructional assistants, special education staff, and other teachers with special assignments, the ratio of students to staff on our campuses is 10.5:1.

Current efforts to recruit and retain top staff and a variety of enrichments, continued:

-Our relationship with GPA is a critical component in our system that allows GUSD to continue to offer a variety of enrichments. Without their support, we would struggle to continue to offer enrichments; for that reason, we continue to do all we can to support their fundraising efforts and work cooperatively with them to strengthen and grow our partnership.

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Mission Statements:

3) The GUSD Board and leadership will work together with the community to provide outstanding staff and attractive, safe schools.

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Current examples of working with the community to provide outstanding staff and attractive, safe schools:

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-Outstanding and productive relationship with GPA, including myriad community events and fundraisers

-Current advisory committees include: Strategic Planning Committee, Site Council, Survey Committee, Climate Committee, DELAC, and DEIB

-Staff membership with: Gravenstein Health Action Board, McKinney-Vento Executive Advisory Committee, SELPA Advisory Committee, RESIG Joint Powers Board, WCTA Joint Powers Board

-Continuation of hybrid format for Board Meetings

-Parent Surveys

-K and TK Kickoffs, Meet The Teacher, Back to School Nights, Parent Conferences, Open House, Field Trips, Classroom Volunteers, Family Literacy Night, Literacy Carnival

-Annual completion of Facility Inspection Tool (FIT) reports

-Hillcrest Hawk Statue by Patrick Amiot

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Current status of working with the community to provide outstanding staff and attractive, safe schools, continued:

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Here is some parent survey data and comments related to this Mission Statement:

-92% of parents agree that their child’s school promotes values that they support

-87% of parents agree that their child’s school encourages them to be an active partner with the school in educating my child

-“I have found GUSD to be incredibly welcoming and embracing of all students. The teachers and staff have an open attitude that encourages children and families to join in and be a part of the fun-loving, yet academic-driven environment. I have been overwhelmingly impressed with the care, education, and community my child receives/is a part of at GUSD. Thank you so much!”

-“The sense of community! We love being a part of our Gravenstein family!”

-“District culture of mutual respect, accountability, and commitment to learning is far and above other area schools.”

-“Academic rigor was a major component for us, but there was something more difficult to describe: the energy of the community. When we toured the school we got the feeling that the teachers and staff truly care for their students. This creates an energetic community where it is clear that the staff and teachers carry a passion for their work that ripples out to the students and families.”

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Current status of working with the community to provide outstanding staff and attractive, safe schools, continued:

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More parent survey data and comments related to this Mission Statement:

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Current status of working with the community to provide outstanding staff and attractive, safe schools, continued:

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GUSD has spent more than $12.5 million on school construction and upgrades in the last seven years:

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Current status of working with the community to provide outstanding staff and attractive, safe schools, continued:

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Here is some additional data specifically related to the level of safety on our campuses:

-Please refer to slide 10 for school site discipline data

-From our parent survey: 94% of parents agree that their child’s school is a safe place for their student

-”Gravenstein’s response to the pandemic was outstanding. When my daughter returned to in person, I never doubted the school because they were taking all the precautions.”

-“Safe environment.”

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Current status of working with the community to provide outstanding staff and attractive, safe schools, continued:

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Here is some additional data specifically related to the level of safety on our campuses:

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Current efforts to provide outstanding staff and attractive, safe schools, continued:

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-Please see slides 16 & 17 regarding staff

-Current implementation of the Garden Grant

-Campus Art Projects

-Implementation of MTSS, Life Skills Assemblies, Second Step Curriculum

-Expansion of Maintenance Staff, Ongoing Maintenance

-Annual School Safety Plan review by Staff, Site Council, and Board

-Pursuing contract for School Safety Audits

-Working with RESIG to develop a Tabletop Crisis Response Exercise for staff

-Mandated staff training on: Bullying Prevention, Child Abuse Reporting, Sexual Harrassment Prevention, Human Trafficing Awareness, National Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Command System, DEIB

-Parent Education Events

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Mission Statements:

4) The GUSD Board and leadership will work together with the community and Administration to maintain a position of fiscal strength.

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Current examples of working with the community and Administration to provide a position of fiscal strength:

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-Secured $1,821,963 in grant funding from 20/21 to 22/23

-Secured purchase of administrative building for $1

-Hundreds of hours of volunteer work

-Teachers secured more than $12,000 in grants from 20/21 to 22/23

-Recruited and utilized mental health and school counseling interns

-Expanded staffing opportunities to include high school aged staff

-Development and implementation of School Site Budgets

-Development and implementation of Position Control Systems

-Alignment of Budget and LCAP

-Submission to and Approval from SCOE on our multi-year budget

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Current examples of working with the community and Administration to provide a position of fiscal strength:

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Gravenstein Union School District

Historical Enrollment* Data 2016/17 to 2023/24

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*Enrollment on CBEDS day, first Wednesday in October

**Enrollment as of September 6th, 2023

Current challenges for the community and Administration in continuing to provide a position of fiscal strength:

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-Maintaining enrollment levels

-Maintaining small class sizes, low student to staff ratios

-Maintaining enrichments and MTSS Tier 2 Intervention menu options

- GUCE and GUTA Contract Negotiations

-Food Service Program Upgrade and Hillcrest Kitchen Project

-Addition of a 4th grade classroom for 24/25

-Potential of a third TK classroom for 24/25

-Elementary level space for Band Instruction

-Traffic Mitigation at Gravenstein Elementary

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