Sep 20 2023
Board Meeting

▼Full Transcript Below

1. Public Comment
   ⏯️ 4:07

   1. • Vicky Lawson (AI parent) a Red Clay resident, parent, and real estate professional, opposed the proposal for policy 5013 to realign feeder patterns, citing potential negative impacts on the district, uncertainty for families making home decisions.

2. Superintendent's Report
    ⏯️ 25:18-26:45

• Superintendent Dorrell Green highlighted the district’s CTE and Career Pathway audit, including a review of programs in health sciences, information technology, and Teacher Academy. He also discussed expanding career and college readiness through labor-market-aligned pathways, dual enrollment partnerships, and the Early College Academy at A.I. DuPont and Thomas McKean, where students can earn up to 30 college credits.

2. Board Policy Review

• Hugh Broomall reported that the attendance zone policy is currently under review by the Board Policy Review Committee, with a presentation to the Board scheduled for next month.

⏯️4:07 Vicky Lawson: My name is Vicki Lawson. I am a Red Clay resident and parent of three children that have graduated from Red Clay Public Schools and all three graduated from AI. I am speaking today to oppose the proposal for realigning the feeder patterns. I believe that it will have a detrimental or negative effect on the entire Red Clay District. As a real estate professional for over 33 years and as a parent, one of the most important decisions of people making the largest purchase of their lives, a home, is the feeder pattern for the future of their children. Any uncertainty on that feeder pattern will have adverse effects across the board in our District and I believe that any changes that you will make in haste will be detrimental for all the residents. I understand that schools have less population than other schools, but the focus of the Board should be to enhance educational materials, practices, and policies that are already in place, and hiring professionals that can better improve the educational environment of our children instead of realigning School feeder patterns on an uncertain basis. Thank you again and that's all I have to say.

Superintendent's Report: 2023-24 District Priorities
⏯️ 25:18-26:45

Dorrell Green: Just highlighting again - and this is - the Board, you know, set priorities in terms of referendum so I just highlighted the Certificate of Necessity. We're still waiting to hear back from DOE as we outline our operational needs as a district. 

Strategic Plan - we will provide the Board with a more extensive or detailed timeline as we work back from the December 20th meeting where you've requested a first draft of a draft plan and then ultimately Student Success.

 
We're going to continue to drill deep in the programs such as the Science of Reading, looking at our Career and Technical Education programs, looking at our Pathways, really understanding based on the labor market analysis where are the opportunities within our geographic region for our students, whether that's through the Human Services field, Health Care, other Industries, and how we are aligning our Career Technical and Pathways not only to promote college but also career Readiness. So we continue to do that work.

 We've done a Career in Technical Education audit to look at our CTE Pathways.

We continue with our behavioral health supports understanding again post-pandemic reality there continues to be a lot of needs. There's a lot of stress on all of us within our system so we are keen to those behavioral health needs. Not only the need of our students but also the supports that our staff members need to care for our students. Then looking at student growth through our various assessments whether that's our i-Ready assessment Smarter Balance, SAT and ACT.

Superintendent's Report: Career & Technical Education
⏯️ 28:46-29:56

Dorrell Green: I will not go in depth - I already spoke about the Career Technical and Pathway audit. But again really looking at things such as Health Sciences, Information Technology and revamping our Teacher Academy. 

That is also working with key partners within our district and within the community. Partners such as Goldey-Beacom College. Really looking at Dual Enrollment partnerships for high school students, specifically at AI duPont High School and Thomas McKean High School, where students can earn both high school credits - their high school diploma - and college credits. 

It will prepare students for the rigors of college coursework coupled with outstanding high school supports. So more to come. 

This will be geared toward a college sophomore distinction diploma upon graduation, where students again can earn up to 30 college credits through this Early College Academy program. 

I want to thank Mr. Mark Pruitt for his diligence in work and Mr. Brian Mattix, and Lou Mingione who are conducting that CTE audit in identifying these critical areas of need to support rigorous Career and Technical and programming. 

⏯️ 38:18-39:06

Hugh Broomall: The second policy, the attendance zone review. The purpose of this policy was to outline the process and criteria for conducting regular attendance zone reviews within Red Clay. The attendance zone review aims to ensure equitable distribution of students, efficient utilization of school facilities and appropriate student assignments. Our next step is on October 4th, the Board Policy Review Committee will meet at 5 pm and that is open to the public and then on the 18th we'll have a presentation to the board for a second reading. For anyone that wants to participate we invite you to attend our Board Policy Review meeting. If you're not able to, you can also email boardpolicy@redclay.k12.d.us.

📄Superintendent's Report - CTE Programming in Comprehensive High Schools page 10

📄Board Presentation Board Policy Review Committee Policy Draft September 20, 2023 page 4

📄Draft Policy 5013 Attendance Zone Review Septembe 20, 2023

Attendance Zone Review DRAFT Operations Policy 5013

1. Policy Statement The purpose of this policy is to outline the process and criteria for conducting regular attendance zone reviews within the Red Clay Consolidated School District (RCCSD) in Delaware. The attendance zone review aims to ensure equitable distribution of students, efficient utilization of school facilities, and appropriate student assignments. 

2. Scope This policy applies to all schools within the Red Clay Consolidated School District, including elementary, middle, and high schools. 

3. Definitions
a. Attendance Zone: A geographically defined area within the district that determines school assignments for students residing in that area.
b. Attendance Zone Review: A systematic evaluation of the existing attendance zones to assess their effectiveness and make adjustments as necessary.
c. School Capacity: The maximum number of students that a school can reasonably accommodate without negatively impacting the quality of education.
d. Demographic Considerations: Factors such as student population density, socioeconomic status, racial and ethnic diversity, and other relevant demographic characteristics. 

4. Attendance Zone Review Process
a. Frequency: The attendance zone review will be conducted as determined by the Red Clay Board of Education and Superintendent.
b. Formation of Review Committee: The Superintendent shall establish an Attendance Zone Review Committee, consisting of district administrators, school principals, teachers, parents, and community representatives. The committee shall be responsible for overseeing the attendance zone review process.
c. Data Collection: The committee shall gather relevant data, including but not limited to student enrollment, demographic information, school capacities, projected population growth, transportation logistics, and community feedback.
d. Analysis and Evaluation: The committee will analyze the collected data and evaluate the current attendance zones based on established criteria (see Section 5). This analysis should identify any disparities, overcrowding, underutilization, or other concerns.
e. Community Engagement: The committee shall actively seek input from parents, guardians, students, and community members through public meetings, surveys, and other appropriate means to ensure their perspectives are considered during the attendance zone review process.
f. Proposal Development: Based on the analysis and community input, the committee shall develop proposals for potential adjustments to the attendance zones. These proposals should aim to address identified issues and improve equity, efficiency, and educational opportunities.
g. Stakeholder Review: The proposed attendance zone adjustments shall be shared with stakeholders, including affected schools, parents, and the wider community, for their review and feedback.
h. Decision-Making: The Superintendent, in consultation with the School Board, shall make the final decision regarding attendance zone adjustments. The decision should consider the recommendations of the Attendance Zone Review Committee and be based on the best interests of the students and the district as a whole.
i. Implementation: Once the attendance zone adjustments are approved, the district administration shall implement the changes, including communicating the new assignments to affected families, updating school boundary maps, and making necessary adjustments to transportation routes. 

5. Criteria for Attendance Zone Adjustments During the attendance zone review process, the committee and decision-makers should consider the following criteria:
a. Enrollment Capacity: Ensure that schools are operating within their intended capacities and avoid excessive overcrowding or underutilization.
b. Geographic Proximity: Strive to assign students to schools that are reasonably close to their residences to minimize travel time and promote community connections.
c. Demographic Equity: Promote diversity and prevent the concentration of students from disadvantaged backgrounds or specific demographic groups in a single school or attendance zone.
d. Transportation Ef iciency: Optimize transportation routes and minimize transportation costs by considering the proximity of students' homes to schools and existing transportation infrastructure.
e. Stability: Minimize disruptions to students' educational experiences by avoiding frequent or unnecessary changes to attendance zones.
f. Feasibility: Consider the logistical and operational feasibility of implementing proposed attendance zone adjustments, including the impact on school resources, staffing, and programs. 

Responsibility The Superintendent shall be responsible for compliance. 

References The Delaware Code relating to Neighborhood Schools. Board Policy 1001, Philosophy Board Policy 9001, School-Community Relations