Renee Gonzalez

The Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District's Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Plan outlines a comprehensive "whole child" approach to foster academic success and holistic development. Key strategic areas include ensuring safe and supportive environments, promoting active and engaged learning focused on skill building (including 21st-century competencies and CTE pathways), cultivating youth voice and leadership, encouraging healthy choices and behaviors, and upholding diversity, access, and equity. The plan emphasizes continuous quality improvement, collaborative partnerships, and a commitment to nurturing quality staff, all aimed at providing equitable support and diverse enrichment to empower students with essential skills and social-emotional resilience, thereby supporting working families and closing opportunity gaps.

The board meeting agenda focused on various administrative, curriculum, and instructional items. Key topics included ratifying agreements for college and career readiness, approving parent involvement policies, adopting school plans for student achievement, and approving service agreements for staffing, equipment, and consulting. Financial and organizational items included the adoption of the 2026-2027 District Budget, Local Control Accountability Plan, and various budget resolutions. The board also addressed personnel matters including appointments, reassignments, resignations, and the approval of collective bargaining and management salary schedules.

The Board of Trustees discussed and approved various items, including a data sharing agreement with RMC Research Corporation for AVID program evaluation, a literacy plan under the LCRSET Grant, and a Memorandum of Understanding with SEAL Early Learning for 2025-2026. Other approvals included the Local Agreement for Child Development Services, Orosi High School and Alternative Education student handbooks, renewal of the Aeries student information system, and various collective bargaining agreements. The Board also addressed personnel matters in closed session, including employee appointments, resignations, and retirements, as well as student disciplinary actions and budget-related resolutions.

The Board meeting agenda covered various financial and operational items including the approval of accounts payable, the cash balance report, and a budget revision. Several agreements were presented for approval, including a professional services agreement for auditing, a memorandum of understanding for summer youth programs with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Laton Arts Central CA, a program proposal for an entrepreneurship academy, an AI-powered feedback platform agreement, and an AVID college readiness system agreement. The agenda also included personnel actions such as employee appointments, promotions, resignations, retirements, and leaves, as well as public hearings regarding collective bargaining proposals.

The Board meeting included discussions on the Comprehensive Support and Improvement Plan for Esperanza High School, the Agency Service Agreement for the K12 Strong Workforce Program, and the Central Valley Community Foundation Grant Agreement. The Board also held public hearings regarding the initial bargaining proposals for 2021-2022 from both COUTA and CSEA, as well as the District's initial proposals to these organizations. Furthermore, the meeting addressed various administrative items including employee waivers, the hiring of COVID-19 funded staff positions, the purchase of outdoor shelters, and a review of personnel items during a closed session, such as new appointments, reassignments, and resignations.