The District Board of Trustees convened for its monthly meeting on Wednesday evening. The Board heard public comment, discussed updates on the progress of the Strategic Plan, revised Title IX language in Board policy and administrative regulation, and reviewed future agenda items, including discussing a possible closure of Tide Academy.
Public Comment
Dan Molieri, brother to former M-A basketball coach Mike Molieri, was the first to give a public comment. He announced that M. Molieri is filing a lawsuit against the District and called on the teachers’ union to protect its members. “Please stop hurting the teachers, the children, and parents,” he said.
Multiple public comments consisted of complaints about East Palo Alto Academy’s (EPAA) inconsistent hours and underpayment in comparison to other District schools. EPAA teacher and Ravenswood City School District Board President Laura Nunez asked the Board to take direct action on this issue.
“At East Palo Alto Academy, where over 90% of the teachers and educators are people of color, we are still being asked to work an extra unpaid hour each week. That’s not just an inconvenience to us, it’s an equity and sustainability issue,” she said.
“We know that early field educators are leaving at alarming rates, nearly 13% within the first year, and almost 20% within two [years],” former Sequoia High School teacher Caroline Coleman added. “As we continue these important conversations, I hope we can keep our focus on sustainability, supporting the mental health and wellness of both students and staff, and ensuring that our colleagues at EPAA are recognized, supported, and valued for their incredible work they do every day.”
Strategic Plan Progress Update
The Board went on to review a fall update on the District-wide Strategic Plan, currently in its first year of three-year implementation. After receiving public comment from five parents and teachers calling for the reimplementation of AS and honors classes, Dr. Elizabeth Chacón began the presentation. Chacón specified multiple caveats to the update, including various vague areas in the data, varying baseline dates, and a short period for the study, as the report is the first of the year.
Chacón highlighted overall improvements in the plan’s three goals: Safety, Wellbeing & Connection, Academic Growth & Mastery for All, and Readiness for Career, College & Life. Wellness Programs Coordinator Stephen Emmi and Student Services Executive Director Jarrett Dooley discussed the first goal, highlighting positive gains in safety and belonging and suspension from the annual Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Survey, but wavering trends in attendance.
Most notably, suspension rates decreased significantly for Pacific Islander and African American students, with respective rates dropping 9.4% and 5.8%. Emmi and Dooley accredited many interventional changes for these efficacies, including companies like Wayfinder Curriculum and Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY), as well as the use of community liaisons and Wellness Center development and expansion across schools.
Next, Program Evaluation & Research Director Diana Wilmot introduced improving proficiency of students in ELA and math based on the results of last year’s CAASPP testing. The data showed overall proficiency gains, with students maintaining green status in ELA and moving from yellow to green in math, including notable improvements from many subgroups previously performing in the red. English Learner (EL) and Literacy Coordinator Janelle Bugarini discussed the slight increase in EL reclassification rate from 9.88% in the 2023-24 school year to 10.05% for the first quarter of this school year. Bugarini also mentioned recent updates to their reclassification criteria that allow more flexibility to surpass EL status.
Lastly, Wilmot went over prospective A-G completion, graduation rates, and college enrollment rates. She highlighted that 81% of juniors are on track for graduation, exceeding the standard by just 1%. College enrollment and A-G completion also increased minimally.
Revised Title IX Board Policies and Administrative Regulations
The Board held the first reading of revised board policies and administrative regulations led by Associate Superintendent Bonnie Hansen. In January 2025, a federal judge in Kentucky issued a ruling that vacated the 2024 Title IX Final Rule, returning states to policies established under the 2020 rule. Because California had not yet developed updated state language, the District worked with legal counsel to update its policies, which were presented to the Board in March and approved in April. Now that the California School Boards Association has provided recommended language, the official updated versions were brought before the Board.
Many of the changes return the District to 2020 Title IX language and clarify procedures that had already been adopted but not formally approved. Updates included revisions to nondiscrimination and harassment guidelines, several sexual harassment policies, and Title IX sexual harassment complaint procedures.
The updated Title IX complaint procedures outline practices such as using restorative approaches for victims and perpetrators, and explicitly state that removing an accused perpetrator from a setting cannot be treated as disciplinary action until allegations are proven. They also clarify that individuals may experience harassment under multiple categories, and the District cannot choose which type to investigate. Additionally, new regulations require the District to follow Title IX grievance procedures and keep documentation related to sexual assault cases indefinitely.
Consideration of Tide Academy Closure
The Board then turned to Thompson and Trustee Richard Ginn, who had been placed in a committee reviewing District financials. Thompson noted that TIDE Academy, while serving a small number of students, requires a disproportionate share of resources to provide quality programs. She emphasized that the Board does not take the possibility of closing a school lightly, but suggested that, given the financial realities, the Board consider whether a closure would ultimately benefit the District and its students.
The Superintendent is expected to present a plan outlining what a potential closure of TIDE Academy could look like for students, families, and staff at the next meeting, with a final decision anticipated by February.
The Board will convene again on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
