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Labor Day Wrap
and getting right back to work after the long weekend
Charles DiFazio
September 03, 2025
Welcome back! I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend, beat the heat, and was able to reflect on the meaning of the Labor Day holiday. Last week, I attended Back to School Nights at my children’s schools. If you have not attended one before, I recommend attending next year, as it’s a great way to meet your child’s teachers and get a feel for their school day.
We have a brief, but important, agenda at the Mountain View Whisman School Board this week, covering student achievement, budget, policy, and housing. If you ever have questions, comments, or feedback, don’t hesitate to send me an email at my official district address, [email protected] or click the button below to schedule office hours with me.
Longer Articles
In addition to posts reflecting current happenings in the district and upcoming events, I’m exploring adding more long-form posts about topics that I think locally-engaged readers will be interested in. I plan to publish them on the website rather than spam subscribers with them, but I’ll occasionally add links to them here if it sounds interested.
To celebrate the start of Transit Month, I published my first one, about my experience navigating Mountain View during the summer while my arm was in a cast. I hope you enjoy it!
Board Meeting
The Thursday, September 4, 2025 meeting begins at 6:00 PM with recognition of our newly permanent certificated staff, followed by closed session until about 7:00 PM. Here are some items on the agenda:
MVW Residences Corporation Board Interviews
At the last regular board meeting, we interviewed three candidates for the board of the non-profit housing corporation that will be responsible for our Staff Housing at the Sevens. The MVW Residences Corporation is a key part of focusing board attention on student achievement while fulfilling the promise of attracting and retaining excellent staff in our district.
MVWSD sought applicants to serve on the MVW Residences Corporation Board of Directors this summer. Applications were due to MVWSD by July 21, 2025.
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We are grateful that these qualified individuals would consider volunteer service to benefit our schools and students for years to come.
We plan to interview two more candidates this week with our appointment of the board to come at a later meeting. I found our first round of interviews to be helpful in understanding the candidates. It provided them time to describe their expertise and interest and answer our questions. The board will be entrusted with a great responsibility for our staff at the district, and I am confident we will be able to select great members from this qualified applicant pool.
Site Plan Process and Timeline for 2025-26
Staff will present an overview of the School Plan for Student Achievement development process and timeline for the 2025-26 school year.
The School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) is a critical part of how our schools plan to improve performance aligned with our LCAP. In this item, the Board will receive an overview of the planned process for developing these plans. In brief, each site will develop the plan with their School Site Council (SSC) and English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC), which will then be used for improvement and monitoring. A process by which we can develop great plans reflective of the challenges and opportunities at each site, aligned with our overall goals as a district, will be crucial to continuing to provide an excellent education for each and every student.
Budget Items
2024-2025 Unaudited Actuals
The 2024-2025 Unaudited Actual Report provides updated financial information for the District for any possible changes to the 2025-2026 Adopted Budget in preparation for the First Interim Budget in December 2025. The First Interim Budget also allows for any changes to revenue or reductions enacted by the State for the 2025-2026 State budget post the District's adoption of the 2025-2026 budget.
Required Expenditures for Classroom Teachers' Salaries
MVWSD is requesting the statutory exemption on the basis that our classroom teacher salaries are competitive and outpace comparable districts.
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MVWSD remains committed to competitive teacher compensation and robust student supports, and seeks this exemption consistent with the allowances provided in law.
These seem dry, but are important for the Board to review both for statutory requirements and to fulfill our duty. The first will allow us to better understand how the financials of the district have evolved since the adopted budget at the end of the school year. The second item highlights the constraints of state law, how precisely our pay and staffing arrangements interact with those, and what next steps staff recommends taking.
Board Bylaws and Board Policies Updates (First Reading)
The Policy Committee, at its August 20, 2025, meeting, reviewed the policies and is bringing them for First Reading and Trustees' review.
Trustee Henry and I continue our work, supported by staff, in keeping our district policies up-to-date and making recommendations that we consider appropriate for the district. As noted above, this batch is the result of the August 20, 2025 meeting of the Board Policy Committee. This will be the first reading of the following policies, and with final approval coming at a second meeting:
BP 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities
BP 0420.4 - Charter School Authorization
BP 4033 - Lactation Accommodation
BP 5125.1 - Release of Directory Information
BP 6158 - Independent Study/Short Term
BB 9011 - Disclosure of Confidential/Privileged Information
Upcoming Events
As I mentioned at the top, September is Transit Month! There are many exciting events during the month throughout the Bay Area.
The Mountain View Art & Wine Festival is on Saturday, September 6, 11 AM - 7 PM and Sunday, September 7, 10 AM to 6 PM in downtown Mountain View on Castro Street.
The next Mountain View Safe Routes to School Coordinating Committee meeting is on Tuesday, September 16. This is a great way to get involved in encouraging and improving active transportation in our schools (see also: my article).
Finally, the annual Week without Driving is September 29 to October 6. I encourage you to give it a try. I guarantee even attempting it will be eye-opening about life in our city!