This is a milestone we've been building toward for over a year. The MVW Residences Corporation, the 501(c)(3) we formed to govern our staff housing program, has now completed its first full budget cycle and is bringing FY 2026-27 to us for approval. Its Board approved the budget on May 4, and the Foothill-De Anza Community College District will consider it on their own timeline.

It’s been quite some time since we’ve discussed our staff housing at the MVWSD Board-level, and that’s by design. By creating the MVW Residences Corporation, we freed up board and staff attention from the project to focus on our core work, and we’ve had plenty to do in the time since. I’ve stayed close to the work on our staff housing, as I am the MVWSD appointee on the MVW Residences Board, but I’m eager to see the work presented to my colleagues on the MVWSD Board.

I’ve seen first-hand the improvements made to the Vargas campus as part of the broader Outdoor Learning program, and this item will continue along that path for our other sites. Staff notes that the negotiated contract costs have risen due to several factors, one of which is the rising cost of inputs that we’ve all noticed. This portion is the preliminary services agreement, with the full contract scheduled to come back at a subsequent meeting.

One of the issues identified during the systems study of the district was a lack of integration of our data systems. MTSS teams need the integrated view of each child to effectively and efficiently meet their needs. Today, staff and educators have to navigate PowerSchool, SchoolCity, i-Ready, Ellevation, Panorama, and a couple of homegrown sites to put together that view. Each tool is fine in isolation, but the time spent stitching across them is time not spent supporting the student.

Staff ran an RFP which received seven proposals, three of which were brought in as finalists for product demos after being scored by the committee highlighted above. This item presents the recommended choice, eduCLIMBER from Renaissance Learning. Staff will further describe how this implementation will look in the coming years.

Bringing this back around to the Monday morning bike bus: the City of Mountain View is updating its Active Transportation Plan, which will guide how the City invests in walking, biking, rolling, and other non-vehicle transportation for years to come. The draft is out for public review, and the Council Transportation Committee is scheduled to consider it on June 16 before it heads to the full City Council.

MVWSD has been engaged with this process as a stakeholder on the Active Transportation Public Advisory Committee (ATPAC). Now that we’re closing in on the final drafts, it’s an opportunity for the Board to comment on the almost-final product. We have a productive partnership with the City on the Safe Routes to School Program, and designing a city that works for children makes the experience better for everyone.

Thinking back to my experience on Monday, volunteer-led efforts like the Bubb Bike Bus are wonderful, but they work hand-in-hand with the built environment that makes them possible. On that ride, I saw some clear improvements by the City that have made the journey from Gemello Park to Bubb safer for children to travel. Everything is always a work in progress, and I hope to see the City keep building on it.

This is the latest batch in our ongoing work of bringing our board policies up to current law and current practice. These are the recommendations of the Board Policy Committee that I serve on with Vice President Henry, but the ultimate decisions rest with the full Board. Much like the staff housing corporation’s board, that committee balances allowing for more in-depth work on the topic while still maintaining responsibility and accountability with the Board as a whole. It’s a division of labor that allows for better governance.

As a reminder, this first reading is for discussion and recommended changes, and if the Board chooses to adopt them, they will come back for a second reading to act.