LAKE COUNTY — Recommendations by the Attendance and Enrollment Revenue Improvement Committee were presented Feb. 4 during the Konocti Unified School District regular board meeting. Committee spokesperson Nancy Todd presented recommendations aimed at increasing revenue by increasing attendance and enrollment.
The report highlighted problem areas and offered recommendations for immediate action, which included ideas such as increased collaboration, student incentive programs and outreach/publicity efforts.
According to the report, a 1 percent inc-rease in Average Daily Attendance (ADA) for one year would result in about $180,000 in additional revenues for the district. It was reported that the poorest attendance occurs at the high school level while the highest number of requests for interdistrict transfers occurs at the middle school level.
The committee recommends that a person at the district be designated to convene a standing committee to deal with attendance. The committee would meet regularly and perform practical tasks such as gathering input from principals, attendance secretaries, teachers, parents, students and social service agencies regarding approaches that might increase attendance. The committee could also design specific plans of action, establish a School Attendance Review Board (SARB) hotlist that allows immediate response to sensitive situations, create incentives for sites and/or for students to improve attendance and designate a media outreach representative.
Recommendations to increase attendance at the high school level included efforts to raise students” motivation by letting them earn units for work done to satisfaction rather than semesters passed. The committee recommends the district consider extending a Carl?-like educational option to more students, including middle school students, as well as converting the entire school to a “units earned” system.
The committee also recommends offering specialty courses in trades, technology and health care to provide career tracks and practical, interesting experiences for students beginning in sixth grade.
According to the report, the most controversial recommendation considered by the committee was to operate the district with K-8 and 9-12 sites, eliminating the middle school from the configuration. “In the committee, and in the survey feedback we received from staff, intense opinions were expressed on each side of the issue,” Todd stated in her report. “About 60 percent of survey respondents and a slightly higher portion of committee members were inclined to think that the K-8, 9-12 alternative offers advantages well worth considering.”
However, the committee was reportedly unanimous in its decision to not recommend the closure of Oak Hill Middle School. It does recommend that the district undertake further study of all implications of such a decision.
The district will be holding public hearings to discuss grade realignment and school closure options as part of its study to consolidate services within the district. Four options have been presented to the public for discussion including: (1) the closure of Oak Hill Middle School and changing of Pomo, Burns Valley and Lower Lake elementary schools into K-8 schools; (2) the operation of four K-8 schools with East Lake closing; (3) K-8 with grade separation with two schools and Oak Hill closing; and (4) the retention of existing alignment with Burns Valley closing.
Public hearings to allow public input on the recommendations are scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. as follows:
? Tuesday, Feb. 17 in the Oak Hill Middle School multipurpose room.
? Thursday, Feb. 19 in the East Lake Elementary School cafeteria.
? Tuesday, Feb. 24 in the Lower Lake Elementary School cafeteria.
? Wednesday, Feb. 25 in the Burns Valley Elementary School cafeteria.
? Thursday, Feb. 26 in the Pomo Elementary School cafeteria.
“We encourage all community members to attend,” KUSD Superintendent Dr. Bill MacDougall said. “We will be listing the pros and cons of the four plans recommended to the board by the Consolidation Committee.”
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
