FLORIN HIGH SCHOOL By SJEC 148 0416 0252

FLORIN HIGH SCHOOL By: SJEC 148. 0416. 0252 FINAL REVISED FOR 061416

Introduction to Florin High School and the Social Justice And Equity Collective: Who Are We? • Diverse and low income community • Reputation impacted the creation of Social Justice and Equity Collective (SJEC) • Our mission • Influenced the formation of other clubs such as Black Student Union and Be a Change • Teachers keep us in mind SJEC Advisers: Mr. Brewer, Mr. Gonzalez, and Mrs. Anderson • Meetings are conducted weekly on Fridays, after school

TARDY POLICY • If student is late, they are issued a detention; and later a Friday night school if they do not attend the detention • If thirty minutes late, marked as truant Research • Interviewed students who were late to school and served detention as a punishment • Compared tardies and absences before and after tardy policy • Found it works • New focus

BUS SYSTEM • Do not currently have a bus system due to past recession • Instead, our students travel in a “substandard” public bus system (Regional Transit) • Reasons we want a bus system: • Distance • Finance • Parents’ inability to drop their students off • Safety

Florin Community

RANCHO MURIETA COMMUNITY Affluent community Multiple means of transportation

FLORIN STUDENT PARKING LOT

PLEASANT GROVE STUDENT PARKING LOT

BUS SYSTEM • Possible issue of class and civil rights • Not a financial issue, but a management issue (told by transportation director) • Pleasant Grove and Cosumnes Oaks high schools receive bus transportation (no policy on who gets busing) • Florin is ranked #8 in the top ten high schools in the Sacramento area with the highest truancy rates during 2014 -2015 school year, 82% of student population is truant (“Truancy the norm at some Sacramento area high schools”- The Sacramento Bee) • Transportation: • May lead to an increase of average daily attendance of students • May increase student performance • May generate more money (ADA)

TESTIMONIES • Bus route encourages students to cross the busy street. • School should be more accessible to students with transportation issues to bolster academic performance. From students who are late to school because of transportation: “ I walk and I have 3 other siblings that I have to walk…. And we don’t have money to buy bus passes and they aren’t just giving them out for free. ” “ I have to take the bus and sometimes the bus runs late or I don’t have money to catch the bus. . ” “ I had to walk because I didn’t get my bus pass yet. ” “. . my grandma is disabled and can’t drive…”

SOLUTION • Cannot receive free bus passes from the RT system because it does not meet California’s safety standards for buses • Example: seat belts • A school bus system is provided by the district

EGUSD MISSION STATEMENT

AFTER THIS PRESENTATION • A school bus system is provided by the district • We want to be part of a meeting to come to a final decision with you all • We have a variety of supporters, so we want a diverse group of stakeholders in making a final decision • Teachers/Staff • Parents • Other students • Program Specialist for Educational Equity • We want to be part of a transportation/financial committee to make further decisions • We want to be involved

“The time is always right to do the right thing. ” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

SJEC MEETING WITH DISTRICT STAFF • District staff met with SJEC on April 8, 2016, based on group’s initial request: • Mark Cerutti, Associate Supt. of Education Services • Rich Fagan, Associate Supt. of Finance & School Support • Tina Penna, Associate Supt. of Secondary Education • Jill Gayaldo, Director of Transportation • Answered SJEC’s questions and provided information regarding District transportation services. • Discussed options. • Suggested possibility of review of current transportation criteria. • Arranged for SJEC presentation to EGUSD Board.

REGIONAL OVERVIEW: ENROLLMENT • Analysis by Research and Evaluation shows that approximately 20% of students living in the Florin High boundary currently attend schools other than Florin • Open Enrollment – 10% • Intra-District Transfers – 10% • James Rutter Middle School’s attendance-area analysis shows a similar pattern of students attending schools outside of the boundary area • Open Enrollment – 12% • Intra-district transfer – 8% • Continuing patterns of Open Enrollment from the region have impacted educational programs at both Rutter and Florin

REGIONAL OVERVIEW: ATTENDANCE • Attendance patterns at Florin High also merit review • Analysis of attendance data from Florin as compared to other comprehensive high schools shows Florin’s attendance (94. 2% YTD) to be the lowest among the nine comprehensive schools • In contrast, James Rutter has maintained attendance percentages near the district averages for middle schools

REGIONAL OVERVIEW: EQUITY AND ACCESS • If we examine equity of transportation access in the Florin region, we also must examine non-service in other regions • Would Transportation to Florin and/or other schools result in maintenance of enrollment, improved attendance, and increased academic performance? • What options might we consider?

EGUSD TRANSPORTATION SERVICES HISTORY • • • Until the 2005 -06 school year, EGUSD provided bus transportation for students in grades 9 -12 whose school was more than 3. 0 miles from their home. For the 2005 -06 school year Transportation reduced service to achieve a $3 million budget savings. The District held four community meetings on boundary changes, that included the change to a “Service / Non-Service” area model. Environmental conditions were reviewed by a committee to identify transportation “service” and “non-service” schools. • An environmental criteria checklist was developed by the committee that included: • Distance from student’s home to school • Determination if traffic control devices were in place (stop signs/lights) • Evaluation of all weather surface for the majority of the pathway (concrete/asphalt) • At least 3’ of shoulder to minimize the use of the roadway

EGUSD TRANSPORTATION SERVICES HISTORY • Bus service changes that began in 2005 -06: • Eliminated transportation for 3, 800 students. • Implemented bus fees for 3, 000 non free/reduced students • Eliminated service for much of our urban area. • Maintained limited service in rural areas for students who live a significant number of miles away from their school. • Established some exception areas pending future infrastructure improvements.

EGUSD CURRENT TRANSPORTATION MODEL • Currently, Transportation: • Continues to maintain limited service • Operates over 150 daily bus routes, that serve 10, 000 students daily • Provides Special Education Transportation services: • Seventy-five percent of our daily routes are required by law (In an IEP) • Additional equipment and staff are required for 2016 -17 due to growth • Operates at maximum capacity with current available resources (staff) • Continues ongoing efforts to increase available resources (staff)

REQUEST FOR BOARD DIRECTION • While Florin High students from SJEC have initiated this review, other schools may have similar environmental challenges related to transportation. • As a follow up to discussion with Florin High School’s SJEC, staff has researched the Board-approved criteria used to change districtprovided transportation services in the 2005 -06 school year. • As a result of this research, district staff is seeking direction from the Board to review current transportation criteria for possible changes. • This review should include: • A review of the current transportation and non-transportation service areas. • An evaluation of the environmental safety criteria of the routes that students use to travel to and from schools. • Exploration of all available options for students.