Citrus Heights council questions report from education committee

By Sara Beth Williams–
During a long-awaited presentation on Thursday by the Citrus Heights Education Committee to the City Council, the committee outlined their analysis and recommendations on improving the quality of education in Citrus Heights and the feasibility of forming a new school district.

Only five members of the seven-member committee were present to give the presentation, along with the appointed committee facilitator, Cyrus Abhar. Robin Stout and Karen Mix were traveling and were not able to attend, according to Abhar.

The four different aspects of the presentation by the committee covered: data analysis, the process of district reorganization as prescribed by the California Education Code and School District Organization Handbook, committee observations and committee recommendations.

Committee member John Kane presented academic score data in English Language Arts and Math and compared all Citrus Heights elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools against California scores overall, and data from schools within the San Juan Unified School District. The committee also analyzed socioeconomic percentages for all Citrus Heights schools based on whether students and families qualified for free or reduced lunch.

The committee then shared multiple observations, including that multiple schools had “socioeconomic challenges.” When asked by the council what specific socioeconomic challenges schools and families faced, no additional numeric data was available.

The committee observed that schools with higher academic scores had higher parental engagement, but when asked by the council which schools had active Parent Teacher Associations the committee did not have data available.

According to the committee’s presentation, though almost all schools were performing below grade level and below average academically, scores were consistently rising from 2014-2015 to 2022-23.

During the presentation, committee members stated they were discouraged from talking with schools directly so that they didn’t “bother” them. Members also stated they were discouraged from looking at other neighboring SJUSD schools outside of Citrus Heights and were asked to focus solely on Citrus Heights.

Budget Analysis
In terms of budgetary analysis, the committee stated that they did not have “adequate resources or expertise” to perform a budget analysis. Citrus Heights Mayor Bret Daniels was “unhappy” with the committee’s reported inability to perform a budgetary analysis. In response, one committee member stated they were “told by some council members that that wasn’t our business.”

“That’s part of the analysis; can you do it, can you afford it, is there money to do it?” Daniels said. In defense of the committee, Abhar said due to high complexities of the district’s budget the committee overall didn’t feel qualified, nor have the time, to analyze complex financial data from San Juan Unified School District.

Abhar also noted that during the length of time in which the committee met to discuss and confer, SJUSD hired a new Chief Financial Officer, which presented another hurdle in obtaining data.

Abhar stated that committee members not being encouraged to talk with local schools was a “misunderstanding” and said committee members “were encouraged to use whatever means they had” to complete the assigned work plan set by the council.

Near the conclusion of the presentation, Abhar said the committee decided against presenting data of extracurricular activities at Citrus Heights schools in their slideshow presentation. Daniels said he would have liked to have seen that data and felt that type of data was “important.”

Recommendations
A majority of the committee supported a pair of recommendations for the council to consider: to pursue collaboration with the district to enhance education in Citrus Heights, as well as explore public charter school options “to provide additional choices to families and students.” Only two of seven committee members recommended a third option to “further evaluation of forming a new school district, including a comprehensive financial analysis.”

In comments about the presentation, Daniels said the City of Citrus Heights has been meeting with the district “forever,” and said the district has undergone multiple leadership changes, yet student success has remained unchanged. SJUSD Board Member Ben Avey, who was elected in 2022 along with two other new board members, stressed that changes are being made, while Councilmember Tim Schaefer said the district seemed to not take the city’s concerns seriously until the city actively began talking about forming its own district.

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Councilmember Porsche Middleton noted the importance of parental involvement and questioned pursuing charter schools, which Councilmember MariJane Lopez-Taff also noted.

“If we were to undertake a very long process that’s very expensive, and we do not have parent involvement, will it fall in the same general area of achievement that we have right now?” Lopez-Taff questioned, apparently in reference to the option of pursuing formation of a new school district. She noted that parental engagement is the factor that can be most influenced, and that if the community engages the parents and schools, it would be possible to see a “positive uplift” in the surrounding schools.”

Lopez-Taff motioned to pursue collaboration and partnership opportunities with the school district, and work on efforts to “foster positive community engagement and support family involvement.” The motion passed unanimously, although Schaefer described the motion as vague.

Editor’s Note: This story is the first in a two-part series on the Citrus Heights Education Committee’s report. Subscribers to The Sentinel will get part two in your inbox next week. Click here to subscribe.