Hart District recommends approving OFL charter renewal

The William S. Hart Union High School District. Dan Watson/The Signal
The William S. Hart Union High School District. Dan Watson/The Signal
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A charter petition renewal request from Opportunities for Learning (OFL) charter school may be approved at the William S. Hart Union High School District Governing Board meeting Wednesday.

The recommendation comes from a team of district staff who reviewed the charter’s petition and determined that it met one or more of the criteria for renewal based on the California Education Code.

The charter will have to meet four conditions, including the approval of the district’s Memorandum of Understanding and the agreement not to open and operate additional charter sites not listed in its original petition, to be approved for its five-year term.

OFL’s five-year charter petition was submitted to the district March 1 and was reviewed during a public hearing March 15.

The charter school’s 93-page petition detailed information about the school’s founders and leadership team, renewal criteria, educational program, measurable student outcomes, school governance structure, employee qualifications and rights, admissions requirements, financial audits, among other procedures and items.

OFL is a network of charter schools meant to “address the needs of students who struggle in the traditional high school setting by offering an innovative, fully accredited blended learning program.”

Its programs are meant to re-engage students in education, help them earn a high school diploma and allow them to follow their dreams after graduation, according to the OFL petition.

OFL has operated within the Hart District since 1999 and was reauthorized by the district in 2012, according to the OFL charter petition document.

If approved Wednesday, the charter will be valid from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2022, and will continue to be overseen by the Hart District.

At the beginning of the Governing Board meeting, the district’s newest board member, Cherise Moore, will take her oath of office.

Board members will also honor and recognize the Valencia High School Girls Basketball Team as 2017 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Champions.

This year marked the girls’ basketball program’s fifth consecutive Foothill League title; first CIF Section crown and semi-finalist finish in Southern California Division II Regional Championship Tournament.

Board members are also expected to discuss the district’s proposed commission budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year.

Board members are also expected to discuss the district’s proposed commission budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year.

According to the agenda item, the proposed budget will be one percent above the current operating budget at $599,050.

The commission budget handles salary, statutory and health benefits, supplies and equipment replacements and operating expenses for the district.

All three budgetary areas are seeing an increase during the upcoming fiscal year.  Overall the commission budget is expected to increase from $531,458 in fiscal year 2016-17 to $599,050 in fiscal year 2017-18.

The governing board is also expected to review and pass a resolution titled Fair Share School Impact Mitigation Payment Adjustment Analysis for Calendar Year 2017.

This resolution considers and adopts the latest reported prepared by the district’s financial services consultant, Cooperative Strategies.

Last updated in July 2015, the agreement between the district and the development community creates a way to alleviate impacts created by the development of new residential units.  It also requires those involved to create a report to calculate the mitigation amount (Fair Share) to be paid by developers participating in the agreement.

According to the district, these amounts are reviewed and updated periodically or on annual basis.

Additional Agenda Items:

  • Hear school site presentation from Sierra Vista Junior High School about its 2017 Gold Ribbon Schools Program, student choice of electives
  • Review site-based declaration from Sierra Vista Junior High for the opportunity room, a place to house disruptive/defiant students and a testing center, which removes class allocation from the master schedule staffed by a teacher
  • Conduct public hearing of initial proposals for negotiations between the California School Employee Association (CSEA) Chapter 349 and Hart District for 2016-17 school year
  • Award bid for fiber-based wide area network and dedicated internet services to Time Warner Cable Business LLC for a three-year term
  • Approve replacement of artificial turf fields (astroturf) at Golden Valley and West Ranch
  • Approve Fee Amendment of $129,790 for Division of State Architect (DSA) geotechnical monitoring and testing, special inspections and materials testing services for the Saugus High School Auditorium Project
  • Approve proposal to Ninyo & Moore for Division of State Architect testing lab inspection services for GrowthPoint Structures at Sierra Vista Junior High School
  • Award bid to Leonida Builders, Inc. for Bowman High School Bridge Addition and Fire Alarm Modifications Project

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On Twitter as @_ChristinaCox_

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