Saugus board expects similar calendar

The Saugus Union School District’s Governing Board is expected to approve the district’s 2018-19 school calendar and evaluate a housing report during its meeting Tuesday.

Created with representatives from the Saugus Teachers Association, California School Employees Association and district administration, the 2018-19 calendar is very similar to that of the current school year.

“It’s very similar. I don’t believe there are any major changes,” Board President Christopher Trunkey said.

If the calendar is approved, the school year for SUSD students will begin Aug. 16 and end June 8.

Student Housing

The Governing Board is also expected to review the district’s 2018-19 student housing report that determines open and closed enrollment and transfers based on each school site’s capacity, as well as school site staffing.

The transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten registration occurs Feb. 26 to March 2, with a district transfer window of Feb. 1-28.

Additional TKs are expected to be added as enrollment increases and based on where enrollment occurs, according to the agenda item.

Overall, total enrollment for the district is expected to slightly decline in 2018-19 with a projected enrollment of 9,780 based on outgoing sixth graders and current kindergarten classes, or of 9,839 based on DecisionInsite projections that include possible new housing, according to the report.

This year, in 2017-18, the enrollment was 10,004 students.

Individuals schools that are expected to increase enrollment are Emblem Academy and Mountainview Elementary School. Other district schools, except for West Creek Academy, are expected to decrease enrollment.

New housing projects may also increase enrollment for Skyblue Mesa Elementary, Emblem Academy and Plum Canyon Elementary.

The following schools are expected to be closed to transfers: Bridgeport, Emblem, Mountainview, Plum Canyon, Rosedell, Tesoro and West Creek, according to the housing report.

Attendance Waiver

The Governing Board is also expected to approve of an attendance waiver for West Creek Academy, due to the half day at the school during the Rye Fire Dec. 5.

The fire, which broke out near West Creek, created poor air quality, caused a power outage at the school and resulted in a partial day closure of the school at 11:15 a.m.

These impacts caused the school to experience an Average Daily Attendance of 1,004 students. The decrease in attendance could impact revenues of the district and cause a loss of approximately $44,165.96, according to the agenda item.

To remedy this attendance issue, the Governing Board is expected to send the state an attendance waiver, called a Form J13A, that allows the district to use the average ADA in place of the actual attendance Dec. 5.

Extended School Year

Board members are also expected to approve of Extended School Year services for students with Individual Education Plans.

Each student’s IEP team determines whether or not the ESY services are required for a student to receive educational benefit as part of a Free and Appropriate Public Education.

This year’s ESY is expected to take place June 18 to July 13 at Emblem Academy.

The district projects that 230 students will take place in the ESY for 3.5 hours each instructional day. It also projects that 16 Special Day Class teachers and 70 classified staff will work during the ESY.