Murrieta Valley Unified presents three-year LCAP; trustees set public hearing and address engagement concerns

Murrieta Valley Unified School District officials on Wednesday presented a new three-year Local Control and Accountability Plan that will guide spending and services through 2027 and scheduled the plan for public review and a June 6 public hearing, with formal board approval expected June 13. Mrs. Mnik, who led the presentation, said the LCAP aligns district goals with state expectations, focuses funds on unduplicated students (foster youth, English learners and socioeconomically disadvantaged students) and streamlines data and engagement materials for easier public review.

"The LCAP is a three-year plan that describes the goals, actions, services and expenditures to support positive student outcomes," Mrs. Mnik said, summarizing the plan's four goals: student learning achievement; intervention; professional development; and engagement and school culture. She told trustees the district had submitted a draft to the county for review and expected to post the final draft for public comment next week.

The superintendent and staff answered trustee questions about supports for English learners, newcomers and long-term English learners, saying the plan includes diagnostic tools, computer-based supports, bilingual aides and targeted interventions. Staff also said textbooks mentioned in recent debate were purchased from a separate funding source (lottery/Proposition funds) and that orders may not yet be distributed to classrooms.

Public commenters used the LCAP presentation to press for more proactive and accessible outreach. Veronica Langworthy, introduced as a visiting committee member and former accreditation chair, asked how parents would be notified about the public review and whether the district has a proactive plan to engage educational partners. "How will all parents and other partners be notified?" she asked, urging clearer and more consistent posting of accreditation and engagement information across school and district websites.

Trustees and staff acknowledged past gaps in outreach for curriculum review and textbook adoptions, described steps taken to bring parents and teachers into advisory groups, and said the district will look for opportunities to increase transparency, such as sharing syllabi and offering classroom visit opportunities. Mrs. Mnik described a revamped Partnership for Thriving Students and Families and said site council visits and targeted outreach helped shape the LCAP's engagement language.

The district emphasized that the LCAP ties to specific funding allocations under the LCFF formula and will include required action tables and performance metrics for the targeted student groups. Mrs. Mnik said the county provided feedback under a FastPass review and that the plan would be revised to reflect suggested changes before being posted.

Next steps: the district plans to post the draft for public review in the coming week, hold a public hearing on June 6 and return the plan to the board for formal approval on June 13.