Trustees press Central Unified for concrete plans on chronic absenteeism and equity spending as LCAP is finalized

Trustees at a June 9 Central Unified School District board meeting demanded more specific, measurable actions in the district's draft 2026'1 LCAP to address persistent chronic absenteeism and subgroup performance gaps. The LCAP presentation by Director O described overall improvement on some metrics but identified persistent "dashboard reds" for English language proficiency, math and attendance among several subgroups and noted an unduplicated pupil percentage of 77.9%.

"We need specific targets and plans for our smallest, highest-need populations," Trustee Nandep Singh said during a long discussion on the public hearing for the draft LCAP. Several trustees pressed for a family outreach liaison dedicated to Black students, more culturally matched teacher recruitment and regular progress reporting to the board. Director O said the district is exploring hiring a family outreach liaison for Black students and conducting deeper data analyses to identify root causes of absenteeism.

Trustees said the district must do more than report data: they want differential subgroup targets, routine metrics and quarterly progress reports. "Our students can't wait for plans that never materialize," one trustee said, urging immediate, measurable steps to reduce dropouts and improve graduation rates for vulnerable groups.

District staff responded that state rules constrain mid-cycle LCAP changes but pledged to present a detailed educational-services plan, professional development and tighter PLC processes by late June or early July. The superintendent and staff also described existing steps such as targeted family outreach, school-based interventions and a planned root-cause analysis for attendance problems.

On funding, Director O said the district spends well above the Minimum Proportionality Percentage for unduplicated pupils and outlined challenges in spending equity multiplier (EMF) funds, which are highly restrictive and currently underspent at some focus sites. Trustees asked whether the superintendent could seek waivers from the California Department of Education if restrictive rules block essential staffing at focus schools; staff said they would pursue options and return with targeted recommendations.

The board left the public hearing open only briefly (no public speakers) and directed staff to return the LCAP for formal adoption at the June 23 meeting with clearer, measurable actions and regular reporting timelines for the board to monitor progress.