West Contra Costa Unified School District officials are set to tackle some controversial issues at two public meetings this week: The abrupt closure of an elementary school that is also the subject of a civil rights lawsuit and the tardy approval of its 2024-25 local accountability plan.
With the first day of school looming on Aug. 19, the district is trying to educate Stege parents about how their children will attend a nearby middle school just several weeks after it faced criticism over its accountability plan, a plan that guides funding and staffing of programs for underserved students.
On Monday, Stege Elementary families, students and staff can attend a virtual meeting to discuss the school’s sudden closure last week for repairs and improvements.
The West Contra Costa Unified School District stated on its website that “environmental hazards” were discovered during summer repair work. The announcement came just days after the district was named in a civil rights lawsuit alleging that it failed to address complaints about the 81-year-old building filed over the last two years.
Superintendent Chris Hurst told Richmondside in an email that the refurbishment of Stege will cost about $43 million using non-bond state funds. The district will bus approximately 250 students to DeJean Middle School, which has more than 380 students, according to the state Department of Education.
The Stege school web page now has an FAQ about the repair and remodeling effort. Officials say that Stege students will get the same level of services, including free lunch, at DeJean.
Draft local accountability plan meeting is Tuesday
The school board will spend Tuesday evening holding a virtual meeting with multiple school district committees to discuss changes to the draft 2024-25 local accountability plan.
Approval of the 2024-25 accountability plan remains in limbo, more than a month into the new fiscal year. In June, the board failed to pass its LCAP and 2024-25 budget after parents and school board members complained that it lacked details about how $64.8 million in programs would improve the success of low-income youths, foster children, Black students and English learners.
California school districts are required to use LCAPs to work with parents, educators, students, and the community to show how they will serve high-needs students. The board will on Tuesday hear feedback from different committees about how to revise the LCAP, which the school board must approve before those funds can be used.
WCCUSD meeting schedule
Stege Elementary School
WHAT: School officials will meet virtually with families, students and staff impacted by the unexpected temporary closure of Stege Elementary School for repairs and upgrades.
WHEN: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday
TO ATTEND: Zoom details here.
Draft local accountability plan
WHAT: A number of district committees and community members will meet virtually to review and provide feedback on the school district’s local accountability plan, which the school board rejected earlier this summer as being insufficient, thus delaying the approval of the district’s 2024-25 budget.
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday
TO ATTEND: Zoom details here.
WCCUSD Board of Trustees regular meeting
WHAT: The board’s regular meeting is Wednesday. The above issues are not on the public meeting agenda, but anyone can address the board about any topic during the public comment period.
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Wednesday
WHERE: DeJean Middle School, 3400 Macdonald Ave, Richmond, or virtually via Zoom.
To learn more, read our guide to how the West Contra Costa Unified School District and board operate.
School board regular meeting Wednesday
The agenda for the school board’s regular meeting on Wednesday doesn’t list Stege or the budget and accountability plan as topics of discussion.
School districts by law are supposed to adopt each upcoming fiscal year’s budget by July 1. Contra Costa County Office of Education communications officer Marcus Walton told Richmondside last month that if his office does intervene in the budget process, it will have until Sept. 15 to impose a budget.
WCCUSD officials could not be reached for comment about an updated budget approval timeline.
