Santa Paula Unified trustees start strategic-planning workshop, press for measurable goals and budget alignment
August 03, 2025 | Santa Paula Unified, School Districts, California
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The Santa Paula Unified School District governing board met Saturday for a strategic-planning workshop that centered on the district's learner profile and what concrete goals and metrics should follow.
At the outset the presiding official called the meeting to order at 8:36 a.m. and trustees approved the agenda. District staff presented the learner profile's competencies (confident learners, compassionate collaborators, global citizenship among others) and urged the board to move beyond aspirational language to adopt two or three measurable objectives under each competency.
A key theme across the morning was measurement and alignment. One board member said the plan should spell out goals, objectives and metrics so resource decisions can be made: "Look at the learner profiles'and then how does everything we do kind of stem out of that?" the member said. Trustees repeatedly asked staff to show how current programs map to priorities and which programs might be reduced if budgets require cuts.
Staff described site-level practices that already support the profile: project-based learning, Cognitively Guided Instruction in math, expanded advisory periods, wellness centers, and community-schools outreach. Principals gave short, school-specific updates highlighting strengths and identifying persistent problems such as attendance at some sites.
Special populations received extended attention. Leaders outlined work on special education inclusion and IEP progress monitoring, earlier transition planning tied to college/career readiness, and efforts to expand ELD (English Learner Development) staffing. Staff said they will protect designated ELD time in master schedules, increase data reviews and offer targeted PD and Saturday academies to accelerate language gains.
Trustees also raised programmatic priorities beyond academics: preschool access, Career and Technical Education pathways, and the need to align after-school and contracted programs with daytime coursework.
The workshop concluded with a trustee summarizing four recommended planning buckets ' instruction (literacy/math/science), connectedness (advisory/engagement), focused supports for special populations (EL/SPED), and opportunity (CTE/A-G/college/career pathways). The board agreed to form a follow-up committee and schedule additional meetings to refine goals and metrics.
The board adjourned at 11:33 a.m.; the next regular meeting was noted for Aug. 13.
This report is based on the district's strategic-planning session and staff presentations.
At the outset the presiding official called the meeting to order at 8:36 a.m. and trustees approved the agenda. District staff presented the learner profile's competencies (confident learners, compassionate collaborators, global citizenship among others) and urged the board to move beyond aspirational language to adopt two or three measurable objectives under each competency.
A key theme across the morning was measurement and alignment. One board member said the plan should spell out goals, objectives and metrics so resource decisions can be made: "Look at the learner profiles'and then how does everything we do kind of stem out of that?" the member said. Trustees repeatedly asked staff to show how current programs map to priorities and which programs might be reduced if budgets require cuts.
Staff described site-level practices that already support the profile: project-based learning, Cognitively Guided Instruction in math, expanded advisory periods, wellness centers, and community-schools outreach. Principals gave short, school-specific updates highlighting strengths and identifying persistent problems such as attendance at some sites.
Special populations received extended attention. Leaders outlined work on special education inclusion and IEP progress monitoring, earlier transition planning tied to college/career readiness, and efforts to expand ELD (English Learner Development) staffing. Staff said they will protect designated ELD time in master schedules, increase data reviews and offer targeted PD and Saturday academies to accelerate language gains.
Trustees also raised programmatic priorities beyond academics: preschool access, Career and Technical Education pathways, and the need to align after-school and contracted programs with daytime coursework.
The workshop concluded with a trustee summarizing four recommended planning buckets ' instruction (literacy/math/science), connectedness (advisory/engagement), focused supports for special populations (EL/SPED), and opportunity (CTE/A-G/college/career pathways). The board agreed to form a follow-up committee and schedule additional meetings to refine goals and metrics.
The board adjourned at 11:33 a.m.; the next regular meeting was noted for Aug. 13.
This report is based on the district's strategic-planning session and staff presentations.
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