Dear Novato Community,
Novato High Ribbon Cutting
We had two wonderful ribbon cutting celebrations this week for our incredible Science and Performing Arts facilities. Special thanks to Leslie Benjamin for coordinating the events and working with the Bond Department, Novato High School and San Marin High School to arrange the festivities. It is a joy to attend events in these state of the art performing arts centers and to watch the educational opportunities in our science facilities. Special thanks to the community for supporting the Measure G facilities bond and I look forward to more events to share these beautiful facilities with our school and community groups.
Collaborations with Marin County Office of Education
San Marin Ribbon Cutting
As we address ongoing funding in collaboration with the Marin County Office of Education, we are simultaneously celebrating the one-time funds the state is providing for “COVID” recovery. Although we appreciate the one-time funds and are ensuring effective use of the funds based on the required uses, our ongoing funding is what we will be addressing through the Budget Advisory Committee as they are analyzing our current expenditures and seeking ways to tighten our belts to meet our financial obligations for the current year and two years in the future. It appears we are 200 students below projections that were used in the budget submission to Marin County Office of Education.
Kate Lane, Assistant Superintendent, provides an update from Marin County Office of Education at the first meeting of each month at our Board of Trustees meeting. On November 2, she will be addressing the importance of increasing our attendance rates. I have provided some information for your review and a request for sharing creative ideas of how we can work together to increase our attendance rates.
One-Time Funding
The state of California has provided one-time funding to support COVID recovery. This is terrific! I only wish that the positions we have open could be filled. The funding is available, but the applications are not forthcoming. We have openings and no applicants! It is so challenging to fill counseling positions, as we are so anxious to provide support services for our students. On October 19, 2021, Trustees approved the following categories that are aligned with the relief fund requirements and we are in process of trying to implement the following expenditures with the one-time funds.
- Expanded academic and counseling interventions
- Increased yard supervision
- Data collection to inform instructional practices to enhance learning
- Reliable school busses to ensure attendance for all students
- English Language Development materials
- English Language Development professional development strategies
NUSD Enrollment and Attendance October 25, 2021- NUSD Needs Everyone’s Help!
In order to meet our financial obligations and projections, NUSD attendance rates have to be at least 96.5% of our enrollment, at a minimum. The following represents our current enrollment and attendance percentages. Based on the percentage of attendance for each school, we definitely need to increase our attendance rates.
We need everyone’s help to make this happen. We, of course, want students to be well and do not want students to come to school with COVID symptoms of fever or cough or beyond. However, we do want to make sure students come to school when they are well because we know that being in a school environment, where students are learning and thriving, is the best for everyone.
Please help us increase our attendance rates to meet our minimum attendance of 96.5% or above by sending your students to school when they are well. I appreciate your support and creative ideas to increase enrollment in collaboration with your school.
| School | Enrollment | Percent Attending |
| Hamilton | 347 | 94.4% |
| Loma Verde | 394 | 96.2% |
| Lu Sutton | 335 | 94.4% |
| Lynwood | 257 | 91.8% |
| Olive | 337 | 95.4% |
| NOVA TK-8 | 76 | 99.6% |
| Pleasant Valley | 388 | 96.6% |
| Rancho | 351 | 95.6% |
| San Ramon | 413 | 95.2% |
| Middle Schools | ||
| Hamilton | 171 | 94.8% |
| San Jose | 559 | 95.3% |
| Sinaloa | 775 | 95.6% |
| High Schools | ||
| Marin Oaks | 62 | 89.6% |
| NOVA | 93 | 100% |
| Novato High | 1460 | 95.1% |
| San Marin | 1133 | 96.6% |
Daily Attendance Recording Another Big Help at School
Please helps us ensure that all students are accounted for daily. If a student misses the first part of the day when attendance is taken or the first part of the period at the secondary schools, our attendance clerks and Office Managers will record their presence when the student and/or parent comes to the office to report a late arrival at school. The attendance is then cleared and it is not an absence. If parents know the student will be out over a period of time, the parent may request an independent study contract for a minimum of 3 days. Then that is recorded as present, as soon as the work is returned and the student comes back to school. Every little bit helps.
COVID Testing and Return to School
Any student with COVID symptoms of fever, cough, or flu-like symptoms should absolutely stay home or get the free Binax rapid test from school or be tested downtown Novato at the free Kiosk near City Hall or a location of your choice. The City of Novato Kiosk is open seven days a week, 7am-7pm, and testing is free. Another Kiosk is at 7th and Grant, and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 12-6pm. Once a rapid test result is provided and recorded as negative, the student is allowed to return to school immediately as long as they are feeling well and are fever free without fever reducing medication.
Board of Trustees Accomplishments
The NUSD Board of Trustees held two Board meetings and met for a Board workshop in October. You can find their schedule of meetings here and their agendas and minutes here. Below are a few of the approvals they made in October:
- Approved the Amended Annual Update for 2019-20 Final Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), annual update for the 2020-21 Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan (LCP) and 2021-22 LCAP
- Approved the 2021 California Dashboard Local Indicators
- Approved Board Policy and Administrative Regulations 6162.51 State Academic Achievement Tests
- Approved 2021-22 Single Plans for Student Achievement Plans for Secondary Schools
- Approved District Goals – Financial Responsibility
- Approved Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) Expenditure Plan
- Approved Schematic Design/Project Schedule and Cost Estimate for Renovated Kitchen and Snack Bar, etc. for San Jose Middle School
- Approved New Deferred Maintenance Re-Roof Project at Hamilton School
Thanks for your help and creative ideas to increase our revenues with increased attendance and beyond.
Respectfully,
Jan La Torre-Derby, Ed.D.
Superintendent