Hart District to conduct public hearing for renewal of Mission View Charter School petition

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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During Wednesday’s William S. Hart Union High School District Governing Board meeting, the district will conduct a public hearing for a five-year renewal petition for Mission View Public Charter School (MVPCS).

Mission View is a public charter school serving students in grades 8 to 12 who are, “no longer enrolled in a traditional classroom program, or who prefer a personalized learning education in an alternative setting.”

The school’s 63-page charter petition details MVPCS’ educational program, measurable student outcomes, methods of assessments and uses of data, governance structure, employee qualifications, racial and ethnic balance and independent financial audit, among other charter provisions.

It also includes exhibits of the charter’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), suspension and expulsion procedures, multi-year fiscal budget, master agreement for personalized learning, English Learner Development Plan and CCSA Accountability Report Card.

The charter was first approved by the district on March 7, 2007.  It conducted a material revision on March 18, 2009 before the charter was renewed by the Hart District on May 2, 2012.

The charter school noted that it provides a flexible independent student model and alternative choices through site-based learning, independent study and distance learning.

“Our goal is to successfully prepare students for work or college-readiness through our integrated and personalized program of job readiness coursework and standards-based curriculum,” MVPCS said in its LCAP report.

Since its opening, the charter has increased its enrolment from 181 students to more than 2,076 students, increased its staff from eight full-time teachers 91 full-time teachers, and hired seven full-time counselors, five student retention specialists and two school psychologists.

In 2010, the charter also earned a 6-year term of accreditation from Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

According to MVPCS, the school serves a diverse student population and has an 89 percent success rate, with 19 percent of students returning to their school district of residence and 70 percent graduating.

If approved, the charter will be valid from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2022.

Site-based decisions

The governing board is also expected to review site-based decisions at three schools—La Mesa Junior High School, Valencia High School and West Ranch High School—in the district.

At all three school sites, the schools’ certified faculty voted for early-out Wednesdays or Late Start Wednesday to give staff time for professional development, staff meetings, assessment creation, student support and other collaborative efforts.

At La Mesa Junior High, faculty voted on Feb. 22 to implement an early-out Wednesday for students.  The site-based decision passed with 82 percent affirmative votes.

The second year vote at the school to continue the existing early-out schedule will now make the early release a permanent practice at the school.

At Valencia High School, the faculty voted, with 75 percent yes votes, to implement a Late Start Wednesday in the 2017-2018 school year schedule.

The change will allow staff to participate in site responsibilities, create time for student support  and increase staff participation and attendance.

At West Ranch High School, staff voted on March 15 to continue implementing Late Start Wednesdays at the school for the 2017-18 school year.

The decision passed with 83 percent affirmative votes and the second year of the vote will make the late-start schedule a permanent practice at the school.

Construction contracts and purchases

Governing board members are also expected to review and approve a contract, a proposal and a classroom purchase for facilities throughout the district.

The board is expected to approve a proposal for services with American Commissioning Group, LCC for the building commission of the HVAC Systems and Controls at Castaic High School.  According to the agenda item, the building commission will cost $129,950.

Governing board members are also expected to approve an architectural services proposal for a modular restroom building addition to Golden Oak Adult School.

According to the agenda item, Taller Dos Flores will remove Portable C and install a new DSA approved portable restroom building at Centre Pointe Parkway to replace the existing porta-potty.

The modular restroom is expect to cost $35,585.

Board members are also expected to approve the purchase of a two-story modular classroom building for Hart High School using an “Santa Rita Piggyback Contract,” which allows districts to piggyback off a previous contract to lower costs and avoid time and expenses of a public bid process.

The two-story modular building project from American Modular Systems, Inc. was presented to the board at a March 29 meeting.

It will include 22 standard classrooms, restrooms, a workroom, equipment storage and ancillary spaces and will cost the district $9,037,012.

Additional Agenda Items:

  • Hear school site report from Valencia High School Principal John Costanzo about the school’s Circle of Friends program
  • Approve prequalified list of general contractors and subcontractors to bid on public works projects
  • Approve resolution recognizing May 7-13 as “Week of the Teacher”
  • Hear project updates on the Placerita Junior High School classroom additions, Saugus High School auditorium and Castaic High School project
  • Hear an update on the district’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and its development of the 2017-2020 LCAP plan, which will be reviewed at a public board hearing in June
  • Review enrollment and average daily attendance numbers for the current school year through March, where averages are between 95.70 percent and 97.38 percent for the school year

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