New problems force school committees to change goals

With new issues emerging due to declining enrollment and financial ups and downs, goals for Conejo Valley Unified School District committees have been revised to address new concerns.

At a recent board meeting, Superintendent Mario Contini outlined future focuses of CVUSD's three strategic plan committees.

The Facilities Improvement and Innovation committee will be largely focused on updating short-and long-term enrollment projections each year. This goal includes analyzing the data in order to identify both over- and under-utilized school sites.

"Providing these criteria will help us to see the potential for closing schools," said Jeff Baarstad, the district's assistant superintendent of business services and chair of the committee. "I don't mean we are going to close schools by the end of the year; I want to make that very clear. We are just looking at the potential and the thoughts of the committee."

Specifically, the goal reads: "Discuss potential positive and negative impact of school closures, and objective criteria for evaluating potential school sites for closure."

The committee will also be monitoring progress of several of the district's projects, including the relocation of Conejo Valley High School, the construction of Boys & Girls Clubs at Colina and Sequoia middle schools, modernization projects and other relocations related to selling the Kelley Road property.

The Governance and Funding Improvement and Innovation committee, new this year, is headed up by Contini. Its goals are centered on maintaining and creating stateof-the-art teaching and learning programs in the most fiscally responsible way.

Some ideas discussed include hiring a grant writer, exploring an energy-conservation program and strengthening partnerships with businesses and public and private agencies.

Contini also said he wanted to maximize participation of all school community members, including parents and students. He proposed a parent resource center and staff/parent feedback surveys.

"This committee is new this year . . . and perhaps we could have students on this one," said Contini, who also recommended "focus groups, where there could be even more student feedback."

Another endeavor of the committee will be administering a review of declining enrollment and the impact it will have on funding, followed by the creation of an advisory task force.

The Instruction Improvement and Innovation committee, chaired by Richard Simpson, superintendent of instructional services, will focus on improving resources and systems for understanding student information. Programs, like one that organizes students' intervention history, will help staff keep an eye on what has and hasn't worked for students, according to Simpson.

The committee will also be identifying student levels and giving them the help or encouragement they need to succeed at higher rates.

Some ideas include expanding the International Baccalaureate program, implementing a new at-risk counseling program and exploring the best practices for English-language learners and special-needs children.

About 15 people, including administrators, staff and parents, serve on each of the three committees. The goals will be updated next month, and again in May and June 2007.