Student Representative Olivia Otter thanked for her reports this year

ATASCADERO — The Atascadero Unified School District (AUSD) met for its regularly scheduled school board meeting on Tuesday, June 6, at 7 p.m. The meeting took place in person at the Kenneth Beck Building. Since August 2022, the district has remained with in-person meetings only, without a live streaming option. All five trustees were present for the meeting.

After Olivia Otter gave her Student Representative report, the trustees gave her a lovely bouquet of flowers and thanked her for a job well done, since it was her last meeting being on the board.

During Oral Communications from the Public, two parents addressed the Board of Trustees and requested that their children who are attending charter schools get the option to be able to play sports on AUSD teams. They asked if the district would consider applying for a multi-school membership to make that possible, and if it was a financial reason why they don’t allow it currently.

Like in previous weeks, three teachers come forth worried about the sizes of classes, and that there have been rumors about combos on grade levels. They asked the trustees to make students and their learning a highest priority by keeping class sizes smaller.

The minutes for the May 16 meeting passed unanimously.

Trustee Rebekah Koznek pulled items 6, 7, and 8 from the Consent Agenda, which was the approval of new biology, chemistry, and physics textbooks. Assistant Superintendent of Educatonal Services E.J. Rossi clarified the need for the new textbooks before the full Consent Agenda was unanimously passed.

Rossi then addressed the trustee board with the evening’s first Public Hearing: the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Annual Update. Rossi briefly reviewed the plan, but has been presenting the LCAP over the last couple of meetings, and will return to the next meeting with the item before a final vote.

He then presented the California School Dashboard — Local Indicators for the State Priorities 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. He added it is required to present them to the board prior to the approval of the LCAP. He reported that this had been done.

Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Jackie Martin then presented the Board Compensation Increase. She added that education code limits the increase to 5 percent a year, and stated that the remainder of the district employees recieved a 7.5 percent for this year, so she proposed getting the trustees caught up. She was asked how much of a monthly increase that is, to which she replied $14, or $166 a year. While the motion passed, both Koznek and Vy Pierce voted no on the item.

Martin then presented the board with the Governor’s 2023-24 State May Revision Budget Update and a Public Hearing on the 2023-2024 Annual Budget and Reserves. 

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Curt Eichperger brought Approval of Declaration of Need for Fully Qualified Educators/2023-2024 School Year before the board. It is an annual, routine item. He stated that in the 2022-23 school year, the AUSD hired over 70 credentialed employees and that the district seek out highly qualified individuals. The declaration allows the AUSD to hire individuals who are not yet fully credentialed. The motion passed unanimously.

The next regularly scheduled school board meeting took place, in person, on Tuesday, June 13, at 4 p.m.