I have stated several times that there are many amazing students and staff members in LBUSD. Please check out the LBUSD All Stars Section of the district website. The purpose is to recognize students and staff members who are excelling in their endeavors. Their efforts bring positive notoriety to our school district.
The Los Banos Unified School District is currently in the infancy stages of developing a strategic plan to help guide the future of our district. Recently educational partners from across the district were asked to participate in a series of focus groups and interviews to get feedback on the current state of our district, and ideas on where we should go.
The next step in the strategic planning process is to analyze the data that has been collected. Matt Thomas and Renee Leonard are to be commended for their assistance with this project.
There have been some questions related to Proposition 28 that guarantees new arts education funding. The Bill passed in November 2022. While the law is clear on what is required, the California Department of Education (CDE) still has not issued its guidance, allocations per Local Education Agency (LEA), plan templates or reporting requirements.
When new monies are allocated by the state, it usually takes the CDE several months before the guidance is distributed to the LEA’s. Once that occurs, we will meet with the appropriate educational partners and plan how to best utilize these funds, much like we have with other grants and then present this information to the Board for approval.
It’s important for all of the District’s educational partners to understand the way in which school districts in California receive funding. We receive monies based on the number of students who attend school or what is known as Average Daily Attendance (ADA).
California is currently one of seven states in the country that fund schools using ADA; this means that our district does not receive funding for students on days they are absent. We are presently being funded based on the ADA of 9,698 that is on our P2 Report from 2021-22 completed on 4/19/2022. The P2 report for 2022-2023 will drive our funding forward.
The collective bargaining season for the 2022-2023 bargaining cycle continues. As shared previously, LBUSD has reached a tentative agreement with California State Employees Association (CSEA). With respect to Los Banos Teachers Association (LBTA), talks are resuming. The District is optimistic that the parties will continue exchanging proposals in good faith and get closer to reaching an agreement.
In closing, the inaugural Breakfast with the Superintendent initiative kicked off on March 6 at Los Banos Junior High School multipurpose room. The format was very similar to Coffee with the Principal framework being utilized by the elementary sites. The goal was to provide attendees with a comprehensive update of what is occurring in the district.
Dr. Mark Marshall serves as Superintendent of the Los Banos Unified School District.
