Board Highlights

Board Meeting Agenda for Nov. 8 2022

The regular meeting of the Miller Creek School Board was held on Tuesday, November 8th.

Meeting Highlights:

• At the opening of the meeting, Trustees were treated to an in-person performance by Miller Creek Choir students. The Board, district staff in attendance and the parents of our singers were a most appreciative audience for two choral numbers, directed and accompanied by our new Choir Teacher, Ms Samantha Nickel.

• The Board heard an important update and presentation by Miller Creek School District's four school counselors, Katrina Villena, Ashley Marty, Stephen Layton, and Cheryl Jacobs, on Wellness and Counseling supports and how Miller Creek School District is providing suicide prevention. Their presentation is linked here.

• The Superintendent updated Trustees, meeting participants, and community members on a number of public health, school district and community events. Announcements

• Trustees received public comments via email, over Zoom and in-person at the meeting regarding negotiations. The Superintendent provided the update below at the meeting.

Today we met with MCEA in negotiations. A new Interim CTA representative accompanied the MCEA team. It was our 2nd session of the current year and two sessions were held last spring. Since making its initial salary proposal last May, MCEA has not altered its proposal, although the District has made two different salary counter proposals. Today (Tuesday, Nov. 8th), MCEA submitted the same salary proposal again. Then at the end of the day, MCEA asked the District if we thought we had reached impasse. The term impasse means that point in the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement at which the parties believe an agreement cannot be reached. We responded that we did not believe we were at impasse and that we intend to continue bargaining in good faith with the goal of reaching an agreement that represented each party’s best efforts to move together. MCEA told us they thought we were at impasse and our next session scheduled for Nov. 29th was canceled. The District prefers to continue to work together at the table until we reach a mutually acceptable settlement or have exhausted all our options. If that were to happen, we would be at impasse. Not now. Of course we will respect PERB’s (Public Employee Relations Board) decision regarding MCEA’s request for impasse and will participate in mediation in good faith. Whatever happens, we respect our teachers, the bargaining process and their right to organize and will continue to operate in the best interests of our students. 

• The Superintendent and trustees discussed the communication plan related to the demographic study, development impact report and the initial look at strategic facilities planning, all shown on the district website here.

On Monday, the city published a draft of their Housing Element for Public Review. Our community has a keen interest in understanding the development and approval process for the list of potential sites. Public Comments are invited through December 5, 2022 and can be sent via email to housing@cityofsanrafael.org. Two public meetings have been scheduled to consider the draft and the meeting times and agendas will be posted at the links below:

• The San Rafael Planning Commission on Nov. 15, 2022

• The San Rafael City Council will consider the Draft at their Dec. 5, 2022 meeting

• Trustees heard a Budget Report from Chief Business Official, Marie Henio, on the elements of the calculation of the LCFF revenue, the impact of the COLA and the transitions in and out of community funded status. Presentation here.

• Deputy Superintendent Kristy Treewater presented the annual Assessment Data report. Her presentation summarizes district performance data from the CAASPP English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics assessment. 

• Deputy Superintendent Treewater was joined by 3rd Grade superstar teacher, Ali DeGuia, who presented on the Mystery Science curriculum. Trustees participated in a hands-on activity that showed why teachers and students are loving it. It was approved for adoption. 

• Trustees discussed the protocols for resuming full in-person audience participation. After trial runs at the October meeting and again with this meeting, with student performers and their parents, as well as both staff and outside presenters joining the Board and district staff in-person, trustees and staff agree that the conditions for operating the electronic access and the in-person simultaneously is working. These procedures will be posted on the agenda platform and the District website. Procedures here.

Finally, on this agenda, trustees heard a report on the Naxolene (Narcan) Distribution Project and the Narcan in Schools initiative in Marin County, approved a contract with a non-profit organization to provide support and staff training for Miller Creek Middle School in implementing restorative practices, reviewed the LCAP development timeline and a draft meeting calendar for 2023, and approved routine personnel actions and contracts for services.

Next Meeting: December 13, 2022

For information about how the public can participate in the meeting please see the description at the beginning of the agenda or check the News section on the front page of the district website. Board Officers

• President: Alissa Chacko
• Vice President:
• Clerk: Brooks Nguyen
• Marin County School Boards Representative: Brad Honsberger

Meeting dates for 2022:

Miller Creek SD Board meetings are typically held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, unless noted with an *.

• January 11, 2022
• February 8, 2022
• March 8, 2022
• April 12, 2022
• May 10, 2022
• May 31, 2022*
• June 7, 2022
• August 12, 2022
• September 13, 2022
• October 11, 2022
• November 8, 2022
• December 13, 2022

Open Session for the regularly scheduled meetings typically begins at 6:00pm.