District presents midyear LCAP update, flags program changes and equity gaps

The Jefferson Union High School District presented its midyear LCAP update to the board, outlining how the district is using supplemental funds to support unduplicated students and reporting early outcomes and planned next steps.

Presenting the update, identified in the transcript as Miss Baca, said unduplicated students (English learners, low-income and foster youth) make up 39% of district enrollment and that the district has allocated "about $1,200,000" in LCFF supplemental funds for wellness staffing. She later stated the district has budgeted "approximately $3,400,000" in LCFF supplemental funds and has spent "just under $2,700,000" to date.

The presentation reviewed work on seven LCAP goals. For equity (Goal 1), staff described participation in the National Equity Project and a site-based "safe to fail" approach; the district plans a deeper briefing on March 22. For school climate and wellness (Goal 2), the presenter highlighted investments in social workers, wellness counselors and smaller class sizes for English learners supported by LCFF and Learning Recovery emergency block grant funds.

On English learners (Goal 5), staff reported the Bridge program for 16–17-year-old newcomer students—launched in 2024–25—will pause next school year due to a drop in newcomer enrollment. The presenter said only 10 students qualified for the Bridge this year and seven are on track to graduate; three current eleventh-graders will continue to receive support.

Special education work (Goal 6) includes expansion of co-teaching; the presenter said there are 22 co-teaching teams this year and the district is partnering with the San Mateo County Office of Education for professional learning. For college and career readiness (Goal 4), staff described dual enrollment and pathway work with Skyline College.

The presenter also reviewed metrics: statewide Smarter Balanced Assessment gains of about two percentage points overall, variation across student groups, and safety measures from the California Healthy Kids Survey. She said ninth-grade students reporting they feel safe or very safe were about 62% districtwide, and noted a substantial disparity for African American students in earlier years; the district has adjusted local surveying to improve reporting for smaller groups.

Board members asked about the Bridge program pause, equity gaps for Hispanic students and special education outcomes, and whether supplemental funds will cover commitments through the year. The presenter said the district will continue to monitor enrollment and can reinstate the Bridge midyear if new arrivals increase; she described steps to scale tools such as the catalyzed survey and said budget monitoring shows the district expects to operate within planned parameters.

The district outlined next steps: a district advisory meeting March 12, a board study session on April 18, a public hearing on the LCAP on June 2 and final board adoption planned for June 18.

Why it matters: The midyear update frames near-term spending decisions, identifies programs that may be paused or scaled and highlights persistent achievement gaps trustees said they want to examine further in a study session.