Back to School

The Wednesday, August 6, 2025, 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 receive the Student Board Member Report, and then hear Public Comments of Persons Desiring to Address the Board (for non-Agendized items). 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. Next, the Board will hear Reports from SCCOE Bargaining Units (which include its teaching and staff unions, among others).

Next, 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 International Overdose Awareness Day, and Attendance Awareness Month. You can read more about all of them under agenda items 5 and 6.

Then, Stephanie Gomez will present Budget Revisions for the Month of July 2025. This is an action item and her presentation and supporting documentation can be found under agenda item 7A. Budget revisions are light for July with only increase in revenue for Steps to Success and Hewlett Grant Artspiration (for year 1 of a 3 year grant).

Dr. Toston will next present Head Start Policy Council Bylaws. This is a an action item and the the bylaws can be found under agenda item 7B. The bylaws have changes to ensure the active involvement of parents, outlining duty to approve budget (to also be approved by SCCBOE), defining conflicts of interest, and explaining who can run for officers of the Policy Council. These Bylaws have been approved by the Policy Council. The SCCBOE is asked to approve the bylaws also.

Stephanie Gomez will then present to the Board a 25/26 Budget Update. This is an information item with no action required. Her presentation and supporting documentation can be found under agenda item 8A. It is important to note is that we are still unclear on many federal funding sources (even though the Head Start grants were approved, there are questions surrounding the distribution of funds beyond September without "proof" that none of the students are illegal immigrants(as required by current federal administration)) and state sources. Furthermore, we are expected to send $56.19 million dollars of property tax revenues otherwise allocated to the SCCOE to the state for them to use courts because we are a community funded/basic aid county.

Next, Reyna Dominguez will present Informational Updates on Head Start. This an informational item with no action required. Her presentations and supporting documentation can be found under agenda items 8B, 8C, an 8D. They include updates on Head Start deficiencies and non compliance, progress on services provided to children and families required by the program, financial reports, spending reports, food program report, and enrollment.

Next, the Board will go into Closed Session to hear 5 Interdistrict Attendance Appeals. It is important to note, the SCCBOE is an appellate body for local school district interdistrict transfer requests, charter school applications, and expulsion decisions. The process and criteria the Board must use is outlined in Board Policy 5117 found here.

Please note, these are just the highlights of what is on the agenda for the 8/6/25 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.