Back from Spring Break

Author

Charles DiFazio
April 22, 2025

I hope everyone had a wonderful time over Spring Break. I travelled with my family to visit my in-laws in Utah during the break, and it was a great opportunity for parents and kids alike to refresh before school began again.

Once we returned, there was a special meeting of the Mountain View Whisman School Board, along with meetings of the Board Policy Committee and the Staff Housing Oversight Committee.

In the coming months, I’m going to use the website component of the newsletter to write some longer-form articles devoted to specific topics that are on my mind. These will happen irregularly, but I find it a useful way to crystallize my thoughts on a topic. Don’t worry, I won’t spam the email list with these articles, but I will link to them to help you find them if you’re interested.

As always, I hold weekly office hours on Fridays, so don't hesitate to book a slot if you'd like to meet! You can also send me an email at my official district address, [email protected] with questions, comments, or feedback.

Board Meeting

The Thursday, April 24, 2025 meeting begins at 4:30 PM with closed session. Here are some items on the agenda when we’ve reconvened the open session:

Update on MVWSD+ Expanded Learning Programs

Staff will present updates on the MVWSD+ Expanded Learning Programs, including the ELOP Program Plan, the Request for Proposals process, budget implications, and next steps.

MVWSD+ is the district’s free after-school and summer program for eligible students. Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) is the California program, which targets programs that “focus on developing the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs and interests of pupils through hands-on, engaging learning experiences.”

Earlier this year, the district published an RFP for our ELO-P provider. Previously, we used both The YMCA of Silicon Valley and Right at School as our providers. After collecting submissions and scoring them according to the rubric in the presentation, staff is recommending using The YMCA of Silicon Valley as our sole provider for the coming year. They will similarly be the sole provider for our parent-paid program, and staff will monitor the performance of the program during the coming year.

Approving the Formation of a Non-Profit Corporation to Govern Staff Housing

Staff recommends that the Board pass Resolution No. 06-042425 Approving the Formation of a Non-Profit Corporation to Govern Staff Housing at 699 N. Shoreline Blvd.

Staff also recommends that the Board approve the Articles of Incorporation Corporation and the Bylaws of MVW Residences, as presented.

In our continuing work to ensure the success of our Staff Housing at the Sevens, while at the same time preserving Board bandwidth and attention for student learning, this item will approve the formation of a non-profit housing corporation. Similar to the Jefferson Union High School District, we will delegate some governance authority to the housing corporation, while still being engaged, albeit at a higher-level.

First Reading - Board Policies Updates

Updating MVWSD's policies with CSBA recommendations will align the district's policies with the California Ed Code and state and/or federal law.

In the most recent Board Policy Committee meeting, Trustee Henry and I reviewed and discussed fifteen board policies and bylaws. Out of those policies, we are sending the recommended policies to the full Board for discussion and adoption.

As we’re identifying our desired workflow in the committee, we are adapting the process over time. In order to maintain a reasonable cadence and the attention of the full board, we will be bringing these up in groups, in contrast to the previous meeting’s output where we brought all of the recommendations at once.

This group of policies (BP 1340 Access to District Records, BP 3580 District Records, BP 5125 Student Records) all deal with records, how we preserve them, and how we provide access to the public. While we have many of these procedures in place already, the policy committee recommends that the Board explicitly adopt the policies in order to clearly direct district staff.

Upcoming Events

On Saturday, April 26, the City of Mountain View is hosting a Spring Volunteer Fair. It will be at the Mountain View Community Center from 10 AM to 12 PM. Local organizations will be available to discuss their volunteer opportunities and services.