June 16, 2023
Board Briefs and Updates, June 16
June 16, 2023
Dear FCUSD Community:
The final Board Meeting for the 2023-24 school year took place last night. Please scroll down to read Board Briefs and take a look at several important updates outlined below.
Stay connected and get involved!
Class of 2023: June Special Edition of In the Loop with the Supt!
The Folsom Cordova Unified School District marked a momentous occasion this May with numerous middle school promotions and high school graduations at FCUSD schools in Rancho Cordova and Folsom! Congratulations to the Class of 2023 on achieving this significant milestone!
Soaring Scholars school supply donation drive
Help us equip our homeless and foster youth students with school supplies for the 2023-24 school year. School supply donations are being collected until July 24 at various locations throughout Folsom and Rancho Cordova, and here at the FCUSD District Office at 1965 Birkmont Drive, Rancho Cordova. To learn more, please visit our website HERE.
Questions? Contact Joakima Gregg at jgregg@fcusd.org
Free sports physical clinic for student athletes
With the partnership between UC Davis, R.I.V.E.R Pediatrics and our Health Dept., nearly 140 students from Cordova High, Kinney High, Mills Middle and Mitchell Middle were provided free sports physical exams so they may participate in school athletics next year. We appreciate the partnership of UC Davis Health, FCUSD Community Schools, and the many volunteers in our community who are committed to helping our students succeed in their school experience. See what this looked like by heading over to our Instagram page.
Communication Survey
Have you shared your thoughts on communication preferences? Our year-end communication survey ends June 19. Please take a moment to let us know how we can keep you informed on important District and school information.
CLICK ON THIS LINK to let us know your communication preferences.
Important Dates - Mark your calendar
- Schools and offices closed
- Monday, June 19: Juneteenth
- Tuesday, July 4: Independence Day
- First Day of School, August 8
- Next Board meeting will be August 10
Visit our website for calendar information: www.fcusd.org/calendar
Board Briefs - June 15 Meeting
District Reorganization Feasibility Study
The conversation to consider reorganizing the Folsom Cordova Unified School District began in January, continued in March, and was discussed last week during a Joint Meeting between the FCUSD Board, and the City Council Members from Rancho Cordova and Folsom.
To review summaries and supporting documents in which this topic was discussed, please visit the links below:
March 24, 2023, Board Briefs and Updates (Includes discussion of reorganization)
June 8, 2023 - Special Joint Meeting, FCUSD, Rancho Cordova, Folsom
At last night’s meeting, the Board discussed the cost and timeline for Schools Services of California (SSCAL) to conduct a reorganization feasibility study. The cost for the proposal is estimated to be $72,500 from the general fund.
A feasibility study will take time to gather data and analyze. With many employees out for the summer, the anticipated data collection would not be complete until after staff returned from summer break and after the 2023-2024 school year begins. Analysis by the consultant SSCAL would take an additional six to eight weeks.
Given the timeline and staff’s availability to collect data over the summer, combined with concerns for the cost of the study, and a further desire to discuss cost sharing with the cities involved, the Board voted to bring this agenda item back to the August 10 Board Meeting.
Presentations and reports on programs and initiatives
Improve Your Tomorrow
FCUSD’s partner, Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT) provided an end-of-year report focused on their respective programs designed to support access and achievement of Rancho Cordova students from Mills Middle School, Mitchell Middle School, and Cordova High School. The mission of IYT is to increase the number of young men of color who attend and graduate from colleges and universities. Click on the link to read the year-end report from Improve Your Tomorrow
Earth Mama Healing
FCUSD’s partner, Earth Mama Healing (EMH) provided an end-of-year report focused on their respective programs designed to support access and achievement of Rancho Cordova students from Mills Middle School, Mitchell Middle School, and Cordova High School. The program’s goals and objectives are to:
- Empower Black girls by fostering their academic excellence.
- Improve attendance rates and reduce absenteeism.
- Promote positive behavior and create a supportive environment.
- Enhance personal growth and development.
Click on the link to read the year-end report from Earth Mama Healing
FCUSD Summer Vital Signs Report
The Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD) Summer Vital Signs Data report provides information on how FCUSD is responding to our current data around instruction and student well-being. This presentation focuses on Attendance, Behavior, and Student Performance. Click on the link to read the FCUSD Summer Vital Signs report
LCAP and Local Indicator Self-Reflection Tool
The 2023 California School Dashboard Local Indicator Self-Reflection is required to go to the Board in conjunction with the adoption of the 2023-2024 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). Please click on the link to read the Local Performance Indicator Self-Reflection.
For more information on the LCAP, visit our website HERE.
Employee Recruitment and Retention
FCUSD Human Resources has worked strategically to fill vacancies and has collaborated with other departments to retain staff through increased support and training. To review the presentation given sharing the many components of employee recruitment, training and retention efforts, please click HERE.
This week FCUSD held a Hiring Fair to great success! Hundreds of candidates came to our District Office to apply and interview for positions, and close to 90 conditional job offers were made on the spot. Check out some highlights and pictures of the Hiring Fair on our Facebook post and if you are looking for a great place to work with career growth opportunities, head over to our website to learn more: www.fcusd.org/careers
Dress and Grooming Board Policy
Over the last few years, school districts across the country have begun reviewing and revising dress codes due to a perceived gender and racial bias in how policies are designed and enforced. FCUSD administrative teams, teachers, staff, parents, and students met during the 2022-23 school year to examine FCUSD’s current dress code policy and design a pilot for revisions which were reviewed at the Board Policy Sub Committee on May 1, 2023. The recommendation from the dress code committee is to make no changes to the dress code policy for the upcoming school year. The committee will reconvene in the 2023-24 school year with the additional participation of two Board members and the continued participation of the two student Board members, in order to bring a recommendation to the School Board for the 2024 - 2025 school year.
Student cell phone use and changes for 2023-24
FCUSD is committed to student wellness and creating robust learning environments, free from distractions. Increasing concerns surrounding inappropriate and unhealthy cell phone use amongst youth has prompted the Board and District leaders to take action.
Beginning next school year, students in grades TK-8 may not use cell phones, smartphones, smart watches or other mobile communication devices while on campus, as is currently the policy for elementary grades. No changes were made to high school mobile device usage.
On April 20, 2023, the FCUSD Board took action to revise Board Policy (BP) 5131.8: Mobile Communication Devices. The intention of this policy is to allow students to focus on instruction. To ensure compliance with this board policy, FCUSD Administration will require that all students at Folsom Middle School, Mills Middle School, Mitchell Middle School, and Sutter Middle School not access their mobile devices during the school day.
In order to help balance teacher time on instruction rather than supervision and compliance with the new cell phone policy, the District is entering into a one-year contract with Yondr as a pilot program for the 2023-24 school year at all four middle schools as well as Kinney High School.
Yondr bags lock when they are closed and can only be opened by a special key “magnet” that is housed in specific locations throughout the campus. Students will be provided a Yondr bag that they may bring to and from school each day. If they carry a mobile device, it may be placed in their Yondr pouch during the school day and accessed at the end of the day. Use of the Yondr bags will also ensure that during passing, recess, and lunch, students will not access their mobile devices as called out in the board policy.
An FAQ regarding the Mobile Communication Device Policy change, and the use of Yondr pouches will be shared with parents, students and the community in mid-July, and prior to the start of the new school year.
Throughout the school year administration teams will collect data and gather feedback from faculty, staff, students and parents as to the implementation of the policy change and the use of the Yondr pouches to share with district administration and the School Board.