SKARCHITECTS’ Post

The Castro Valley Unified School District is committed to providing all students in each of our 15 schools with a high-quality education that equips them for success in today’s workforce. To ensure that our facilities meet current and future needs, the District has embarked on a comprehensive Facilities Master Planning (FMP) process that includes strong community engagement to identify and address specific facility needs at each of our schools. On February 25, 2016, the CVUSD Board of Education approved the Facilities Master Plan, which details the necessary improvements across our sites. This plan can be viewed in its entirety online. After evaluating available funding, it was determined that an additional $123 million would be required to fulfill the outlined needs, which included enhancements in health and safety, heating and air conditioning, lighting, roofing, fields, playgrounds, classrooms, multipurpose rooms, and increased access for the community. In response, the District put forth Bond Measure G, a General Obligation Bond passed by Castro Valley voters on June 7, 2016. This bond is valued at $123 million and directly funds these critical improvements. To maintain transparency and accountability, the Board of Education appointed 12 seats on the Bond Measure G Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC), consisting of seven members and five alternates, during the September 22, 2016 board meeting. The CBOC is responsible for informing the public and the Board on the spending of bond revenues, ensuring alignment with both voter intentions and legal requirements. The Committee actively monitors bond-related activities, providing guidance on bond expenditures and making sure funds are used as promised. In a message to the Committee, Jo A.S. Loss, then Vice President of the Board, emphasized the importance of the Committee’s work, acknowledging the impact of Measure G as the largest bond approved in Castro Valley and the significant role it plays in enhancing facilities and technology for our students and staff. https://lnkd.in/gN8uZcS3

Good reporting on Free Community College - I think the big takeaways for Houston are: (1) Free tuition is NOT enough - we need additional funding for incidentals AND advising to support students. (2) Auto-enrollment in community college (i.e. what Houston Community College did with P-SOAR in Alief ISD) likely won't hurt enrollment at 4-year institutions. (3) We should the San Jacinto College Promise Program to see what the effects are. Hope we can get some folks at our local Community Colleges thinking about this! https://lnkd.in/gpTEaN8i

The State Charter Schools Commission (SCSC) has approved five new charter schools set to open in Fall 2025, including Columbus/Muscogee County’s first start-up and only charter school, Dominion Purpose Academy (DPA). Columbus, Georgia’s 3rd largest city by population, has long awaited this addition, as other major cities outside Atlanta like Augusta, Savannah, and Macon have had multiple charter schools serving their communities for years. DPA will not only be the first start-up charter school in Columbus, but also the only charter school within an hour's drive of the city. We are excited to see DPA offer a much-needed PUBLIC education option for families in Columbus. While the city continues to thrive with industry and opportunity, it is also home to two of Georgia’s most impoverished zip codes. The three elementary schools closest to DPA’s proposed location have 87% of their combined students scoring below grade proficiency levels in ELA, Math, and Science. One of these schools has only 5% of students reading at grade level proficiency. Now, these families will have a choice, and we are confident that DPA will be a game changer by providing access to a high-quality, innovative charter school. With over 14,000 students on wait lists for charter schools all over Georgia, bringing one to a very large community that lacks options- like Columbus- is a significant win for students and families. I can’t wait to visit Dominion Purpose Academy when it opens in Fall 2025! https://lnkd.in/eaJSMU9Q

I have more questions than answers from this article: What defines success here? Apparently, anyone can be a private school: "A private school is defined in Section 1002.01(2), Florida Statutes, as “an individual, association, co-partnership, or corporation or department, division, or section of such organizations, that designates itself as an educational center that includes kindergarten or a higher grade” and is below the college level." Interesting. delineation of requirements of private schools vs. homeschool: https://lnkd.in/gk9XhvDz I wonder why they felt the need to include this regulation: "Private schools may not exist at either end of a runway of a publicly owned, public-use airport. s. 333.03(3), F.S." In general, private schools, as defined by Florida, and homeschools have access to all public school services but if you decimate public schools and their subsequent funding, won't those services necessarily go away? Lots of questions, especially as the article notes other states are looking at Florida as a roadmap. What's your question here?

Massasoit Community College is reinvesting in its Middleborough instructional site through the appointment of Karyn Boutin as Dean of Middleborough Center and plans to offer additional courses and student services beginning in the fall of 2025. With the introduction of free community college in Massachusetts, Massasoit is working to ensure that every student across its 39-town service area and beyond has access to a convenient in-person or online higher education option. Massasoit’s Middleborough Center has the capacity to serve several hundred students in a wide range of academic programs in updated classrooms and labs – including a state-of-the-art paramedic suite. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eqYn2HBS

Many people fail to recognize the different intricacies of planning for college. While there are many, here are the top 7 things to think about when beginning to save for your children's college education.

Transitioning to College life can be difficult. We’re here to make it easier. Read Article here: https://lnkd.in/exmZE3jk (Post made by: @imdrsebi on IG) Broward Education Foundation Broward County Public Schools #College #School #Studying

Pasadena ISD’s partnership with San Jacinto College leads as one of the most successful dual-enrollment programs in the state, focusing on bringing a college education to low-income, first-generation high schoolers. Here’s a look at how the program works. https://bit.ly/3PMd23r

Early Edge California published a new policy brief, "Supporting Student Parents and their Young Children in California’s Institutions of Higher Education," that shares insights into the unique needs and challenges these parenting students face and recommendations for how institutions of higher education (IHEs) can better position themselves to address and meet the needs of both parent and young child. Read more: https://bit.ly/4g7neiC

Ulverstone Secondary College or Ulvie High? by Simon Dent – Principal Since transitioning to Ulverstone Secondary College in 2017 some people could be excused, or perhaps confused, for thinking we are no longer a high school? The simple answer is yes, we still operate like the high school we have always been, with years 7, 8, 9 & 10 attending, but now with the inclusion of years 11 and 12 as well. Hence the name change to reflect the year 7-12 nature of our college. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/gmpkJ5j6