District staff and parents at a District Parent Advisory Committee (DPAC) meeting held on Zoom discussed the role and responsibilities of School Site Councils for Title I schools, timelines for district and state assessments, a pilot volunteer “passport” system, and upcoming family events and trainings. The meeting included presentations from district staff and comments from parents and site representatives.

A district staff member described the School Site Council (SCC) as “un grupo de personas con responsabilidad de desarrollar, evaluar y poner al día el plan escolar para logros estudiantiles.” The presenter said SCCs develop, review and update school plans for student achievement, recommend those plans to the school board and monitor implementation during the school year.

The presenter emphasized that SCCs are advisory bodies, not personnel or disciplinary committees, and do not set district policy or hire and fire staff. SCCs must follow school-specific bylaws on member term length and replacement procedures. The presenter said an SCC must have a minimum of 10 members, with parents or community members comprising half of the council; councils may grow to about 30 members but must remain balanced between parents/community and school staff.

Panelists and parents discussed how SCC work ties to Title I funds and district planning. The presenter said Title I resources are intended to supplement classroom instruction and curriculum supports such as math and literacy interventions. The district staff described an annual cycle of data review: initial data and goal-setting, midyear checks (three formal checkpoints across the year), and final recommendations to the board in May when schools typically submit their updated plans.

District staff reviewed the district’s assessment calendar and screening practices. They named iReady, local benchmark checks and state assessments as part of the monitoring cycle, and described a pilot screening for dyslexia that has begun in some sites. The presenter noted assessments are used to identify students in need of interventions and to inform SCC decisions about resources and supports. Staff also said one local concern is student attendance, which the presenter described as “un 40 por 100 no vienen a la escuela,” noting absenteeism as a complicating factor when interpreting achievement data.

The committee described a pilot volunteer "passport" that would let parents scan a QR code at meetings to record participation and, when funding allows, recognize families who participate frequently. The passport would create a documented log of volunteer hours, useful for parents who need to show community service. The DPAC said the district requires volunteer health and background checks (tuberculosis testing and Livescan fingerprinting) and that some parents already completed those steps: organizers reported about 65 parents signed up at a recent volunteer fair and completed required health screening steps.

Staff outlined opportunities for volunteers—library help, reading listeners in English or Spanish, event support—and said volunteer roles and scheduling vary by school. They encouraged SCCs to schedule meetings at times that work for staff and parent availability and noted that the school principal attends SCC meetings but does not lead or replace the council’s decision-making role.

The meeting also covered community schools coordination and family-facing services. A district coordinator for community schools said each site is expected to form a committee that will meet several times a year, set three priority areas for the school and monitor progress. The DPAC announced a district gratitude event scheduled for Saturday the 15th from 10 a.m. to noon at Anderson School, and a training session for families on individualized education program (IEP) meetings set for next Tuesday at 9 a.m. at district offices. Organizers said event details and presentation slides will be posted to the district website and that interpretation can be requested with 72 hours’ notice.

Parents asked about access to assessment results. District staff said some assessment information is available through parent conferences and that parent-facing resources for tests such as iReady and ELPAC exist on school websites; staff acknowledged there is not yet a single consolidated portal for all local and interim assessment results. Staff said survey results collected districtwide are being compiled and will be released to parents around late October or early November.

No formal board motions or votes were recorded during the DPAC meeting. The session focused on information-sharing, coordination among site councils and outreach to families about volunteer requirements and available supports.