2nd Interim and Head Start Grant Reapplication

The Wednesday, March 18, 2026, Santa Clara County Board of Education (SCCBOE) meeting will start at 5:00pm. Contemporaneous public comments may only be made in person in the San Jose Room of the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE). Community members can follow SCCBOE meetings at home by clinking on this link and scrolling down to the Watch Live heading. If you cannot attend in person, and have a comment that you would like the SCCBOE to consider in its decision making, please email all of us prior to the board meeting at SCCBOEMembers@sccoe.org. The entire agenda and supporting documentation for this coming week's meeting can be found here.

First up on the agenda, the SCCBOE will recognize SCCOE's Student of the Year, Muqing Chen. Muqing is a fourth-year post-secondary student at the Hester School. He is being recognized for his academic excellence, leadership, and growing confidence. Muqing is always ready to lend a helping hand and has demonstrated remarkable job skills. Muqing will graduate this spring with the State Civic Seal of Engagement as part of his record.

Next, the Board will hear Public Comments of Persons Desiring to Address the Board (for non-Agendized items), followed by Reports from SCCOE Bargaining Units (which include its teaching and staff unions, among others). For public comments, participants are given 2 minutes at most to address the Board, and the Board is not permitted to engage on the subject matter because it is not agendized.

Then, the Board will consider approving its Consent Action and Information Items. The consent part of an agenda generally includes non-controversial subject matters that can be approved all together if the Board all deems the items non-controversial and chooses not to pull any for discussion. For the SCCBOE, this part of the agenda typically includes minutes from the prior meeting, resolutions recognizing ethnic groups the county serves, specific educational initiatives, outside donations the county has received, disposition of surplus items, Head Start program reports, approval of board policy updates, and employee compensation increases over a certain threshold. This meeting's agenda includes resolutions recognizing Arab American Heritage Month, Autism Awareness Day and Month, National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Environmental Education and Literacy, along with requests to approve the acceptance of specific donations and adoption of a Board Policy on Safety (BP 5412). You can read more about all of them under agenda items 6 and 7.

Dr. Matt Wayne, along with Kristen Lee, will next present a Request for Approval to Submit the Non-Competive Head Start/Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Grant Application for FY 2026-26 and Selection Criteria. This is an action item and the presentation and a summary of the application can be found under agenda item 8A. Every year of a Head Start grant cycle, a grantee must resubmit its application. SCCOE is in the second year of a five year grant cycle. The application is non-competive and the SCCOE need only share with the federal government its expected enrollment, selection criteria for student eligibility, a detailed budget, and plans to meet and exceed Head Start program standards.

Stephanie Gomez will then present Budget Revisions for the Month of February 2026. This is an action item and her supporting documentation can be found under agenda item 8B. The short of it is that during the month of February 2026, expenditure budgets were increased by $770,322; revenue was increased by $471,503; and fund balance was decreased by $298,819.

Next, Stephanie Gomez will present a Home-to-School Transportation Plan. This an action item and the plan and presentation can be found under agenda item 8C. There are certain students the SCCOE must supply transportation for and with the approval of this plan and submission of it to the California Department of Education, the SCCOE will be eligible to receive reimbursements for such transportation.

Then, Stephanie Gomez will present the 2025-26 Second Interim Financial Report. This is a discussion item and Stephanie Gomez's presentation, as well the report can be found under agenda item 9A. The purpose of this report is to inform the Board of the actuals compared to the budget from July 1 to January 31st, while also determining fiscal solvency for the current budget year and two future budget years. The good news is that the SCCOE will be fiscally solvent this budget year and for the two outlying budget years. However, the office has challenges facing it in the outlying years including declining student enrollment across Santa Clara County directing funding levels in SCCOE schools and local LEA budgets. rising operational and program costs, and the state's uncertain economic outlook. It is important for me to continue to point out here that the SCCOE does not get to keep all the property taxes that it should otherwise be entitled. State law requires the SCCOE to disburse 22% of it to the state to be used by local courts. For the 25/26 budget, that disbursement is expected to be over $56 million (see image above).

The Board will next go into Closed Session to discuss anticipated litigation and conduct 3 Interdistrict Transfer Hearings.

Please note, these are just the highlights of what is on the agenda for the 3/18/26 meeting. You can inform yourself about the rest of the agenda at the link provided above. As always, feel free to email me with any questions.