Board hears LCAP presentation and public critique; trustees schedule final vote

District staff presented the local indicators and the first reading of the 2024-27 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) at the June 9 Carpinteria Unified School District board meeting, and the item drew extended public comment and board questions.

Presentation highlights: Superintendent Rigby reviewed state-required local indicators drawn from the 2024-25 reporting year. Staff reported eight teacher misassignments in 2024-25, asserted full implementation of state academic frameworks, and cited parent-engagement and school‑climate measures (for example, staff reported that the California Healthy Kids Survey indicates roughly 90% of parents and students report connectedness and safety in most grades). The presentation described actions the district is taking or planning—before‑school reading intervention for incoming sixth graders, small-group instruction, PLCs, targeted tutoring, expanded dual enrollment and CTE pathways, and facilities projects tied to Measure U.

Public hearing and critique: During the required public hearing on the LCAP draft, several public commenters urged the board to focus more on outcomes and less on rhetoric. One commenter said the superintendent's presentations were "painful exercises in rhetoric" and argued that baseline columns in slide decks show overall declines when reductions are included, not uniform gains. The speaker asked the board to place greater weight on teachers' direct experience when setting measurable targets.

Board questions: Trustees asked technical and programmatic questions about interventions (timing of before‑school reading vs. after‑school tutoring, which grade cohorts are targeted), the mechanics of instructional coaching, the effect of dual enrollment on A–G UC/CSU requirements, and data timing (staff emphasized that county and state reporting rules require using 2024-25 as the baseline year in many LCAP sections).

Why this matters: The LCAP guides how the district spends supplemental and district general funds to support English learners, students with disabilities, low‑income students and others. Public critique focused on whether the plan's stated actions align tightly with measurable outcomes.

Next steps: The board held the LCAP first reading on June 9 and will consider adoption at its June 16 meeting, after which the plan will be finalized for the 2024-27 cycle.